A mixture of flour, a leavening agent, and a small amount of liquid ingredients that forms a mass, which is thick, but pliable. Dough is kneaded by hand or a machine an formed into loaves or rolls and baked to produce bread or pastry.
For many bread recipes the final rising is often the second rising, while other breads may require two or more cycles of rising, punching, and kneading before being shaped and allowed to rise for the final time.
Kneading is especially important when preparing yeast breads because it helps to distribute the activated yeast and it enables the protein in the flour to develop into gluten, which promotes the properties of stretching and expansion in the dough.