A bread dough trough or kneading trough is a rectangular shallow basin used for the traditional kneading of dough. Also made with wooden and has been used in Europe for centuries of bread- making. A trough with no lid could be covered with a cloth to prove the dough in a warm place. The kneading-trough is mentioned by Chaucer in The Miller's Tale, 1386.
 
Most stone troughs were made for filling with water extracted from a well or bore pipe using a hand pump. Water troughs usually have roughly chiselled insides. However troughs with smooth insides were made for making and kneading bread dough and could have lasted for hundreds of years with care. A large stone trough in the bakery of Aberdour Castle has a smooth and rounded internal surface believed to have been used for making dough.
 
Most wooden dough troughs are made by hollowing out a single piece of a hardwood not prone to shakes such as lime or elm, because the trough needs to be reasonably watertight.
 
While most surviving dough bins are made from wood and a hundred years old or more, some small stone troughs are believed by archaeologists to have been made for mixing bread dough. Carved stone receptacles of a small size can be found for sale in many salvage yards and, if they are described, are usually labelled as handy for growing alpine plants or herbs.
 
Now vintage wooden dough troughs are more often used decoratively for flowers or fruit and vegetables. Although they could still be used for home made bread which is a both healthy and fun to make. Jamie Oliver says cooking is 'good for the soul' and making bread 'therapeutic' so see his recipe link below.