Rest

To rest means to set food aside, untouched, for a stated time before you go on. Doughs rest so the gluten relaxes and the flour soaks up liquid. Batters rest so they thicken and cook more evenly. Cooked meat rests so it finishes cooking and holds its juices. The step looks idle, but it changes how the food behaves.

How to do it

1. Cover the dough or batter so it does not dry out. Wrap pastry in plastic wrap or a beeswax wrap. Cover a bowl with a plate or towel.
2. Rest it where the recipe says. Pastry and cookie dough rest in the fridge. Bread dough often rests on the counter.
3. Use these times as a guide:
   • Pastry: 30 minutes to 2 hours in the fridge.
   • Bread dough before shaping: 10 to 30 minutes, called a bench rest.
   • Pancake and crêpe batter: 30 minutes to overnight.
   • Fresh pasta: 30 minutes at room temperature.
   • Roast meat: 10 to 20 minutes, loosely covered. See resting meat.

Why it works

Kneading and rolling stretch the gluten strands tight. If you roll or shape right away, the dough springs back and shrinks in the oven. Rest lets the strands relax. Flour also keeps absorbing water for some time after mixing, so rested doughs and batters are smoother. In pastry, chilling during the rest firms the fat. In meat, rest lets the heat even out and the juices thicken slightly, and carryover cooking raises the center a few degrees.

Common mistakes

• Skipping the rest for pastry. It shrinks down the sides of the pan.
• Leaving dough uncovered. A dry crust forms and cracks when you roll it.
• Rolling pastry straight from a long chill. It cracks. Let it sit out for 5 to 10 minutes first.
• Resting meat under tight foil. The crust goes soft from steam.

In recipes

"Let the dough rest" or "let it relax" means leave it alone, covered. "Bench rest" means rest on the work surface between shaping steps. A rest of flour and water before adding salt is an autolyse.