What does 'knock back' refer to in baking?

The term 'knock back' in baking specifically refers to the process of kneading or pressing down on risen dough to expel the carbon dioxide that has built up during fermentation. This action helps to redistribute the yeast and create a finer texture in the final product, allowing for a more controlled rise in subsequent stages of bread-making. By knocking back the dough, bakers also ensure that the dough's structure is resilient, which can ultimately lead to a better rise and texture when baked.

The other options involve different aspects of the bread-making process. Adding more yeast is not accurately represented by 'knock back' as it pertains to adjusting ingredient quantities rather than manipulating the dough's structure. Allowing the dough to rise a second time is a separate step known as proofing or second fermentation, while shaping dough into rolls refers specifically to forming pieces of dough into a desired shape before baking, which again is different from the action of knocking back.