I would like to buy a kneading board to use on top of my kitchen table. What surface would you suggest? Stainless steel, maple, other wood, a quartz countertop material, something else?
Many thanks,
Carols
Good question – I can’t say I have a definitive answer, just some things to consider. You want to look at weight, cleaning and durability.
My kitchen table is topped with a glass sheet – very easy to clean and I put tablecloths under it some of the time. Kinda like a restaurant lol. I went to a glass shop and ordered it years ago – it has a few tiny chips on the edges but is fine. Before I do dough-related stuff on it, I soak a towel with water and wipe off any spray cleaner (multiple rounds of wet towel wiping). This is a backup space for me.
My kitchen counter – where I do most dough work – is granite. I never spray it with cleaning products. I wash it occasionally with dish soap, mostly it’s wiped with water. It probably has sourdough microbes in it lol. The family knows not to put stuff on this stretch of counter (no backpacks, raw meat cutting boards, etc).
I also have this kneading board https://breadtopia.com/store/wood-bread-board/
It is heavy enough to stay put but not a workout to move around, and it’s got a lovely smooth surface. I like that I can rinse it over my sink with the sprayer attachment. It does need to be treated with mineral oil on occasion.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful reply! I have to say that I’m a bit concerned about not being able to thoroughly wash wooden boards with soap and hot water. I’m also concerned about having to oil them. Am I being too cautious- finicky? Thanks
Carol
You’re welcome 
The wood board is the only surface I’m able to wash with soap and water–though I do need the sink faucet hose-attachment thing to accomplish this.
It’s hard to weigh in on the cleanliness question, but I look at it from a standpoint of dangerous pathogens and chemicals. Harsh soaps and cleaners, toxic molds, and meat-borne bacteria don’t go near my bread areas. I do make plenty of egg-filled doughs (salmonella), but everything that’s on my bread surfaces eventually gets baked to over 190’F anyway.
And lactobacillus is a preservative, so all my unwashed banneton liners are like a lifetime supply of dried sourdough starter.
I have a 3/4" thick piece of Corion as part of my counter. Works great. stays coo while working with dough, so will granite.
Sough sticks to Formica and things like it worse and the dough heats up faster. But, I’ve kneaded dough on a pastry cloth over Formica in the past. Cloth moves around and it’s a pain but it works.
Best? Corion, or some other stone type artificial marble, or marble.
Dear Whippit,
Thanks so much. Just before reading your post, I had in fact ordered a 24x24 inch slab of corian with a lip to keep it from sliding around. So I was really happy to read your recommendation. I’ll let you know how it goes,
Carol
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Hi
Where did you order the Corian board from - where they were alble to make the 24 x 24 with a lip?
That would be a wonderful item but I did not know you could do this and now I have no idea who to ask to make one for me.
Thank you
Joan
I was delighted with my board and also with the excellent service I received. I ordered it from AnnaBeth at Moose Woodworx. You can reach her at [email protected] or 517-977-7492. Please feel free to say that Carol in North Carolina recommended her.
I make mostly rustic sourdough breads. With high levels of hydration and slow development, I rarely actually knead dough anymore. It’s all done by hand in a stainless steel bowl with just a half dozen or so folds over the course of a few hours. So, my old Electrolux (Ankarsrum) mixer has been mostly gathering dust.
I have granite countertops and don’t like them for kneading. They absorb too much heat from the dough and yet the dough tends to stick more than on hardwood. Also, when shaping, I like the surface to have a slight stickiness to assist with developing a tight skin as I pull the loaf on the board. I fine tune with flour, but find it easier to achieve the proper level of stickiness on wood than on stone.
Here is a video of a traditional dough board (or spianatoia) being made in Italy.
Hello,
I much prefer wood (Walnut) for any kneading I might require. For me, it’s the most optimal surface!
Cheers!