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In preparation for the dough, he added warm water, avoiding salt due to its historical expense. The mixture was kneaded, a process that proved especially laborious due to the dense flour used. While often, one would knead until the dough passed the "window pane" test, this particular bread required a denser texture, leading him to recommend the use of a stand mixer for convenience.

As the dough rose over the span of an hour or so, viewers were treated to a mini-history lesson on the trencher's origins. The word "trencher" itself comes from the old French "tranchir," which means "to slice." Trenchers were not merely functional; they dated back to antiquity, as evidenced in Virgil's "Aeneid."