Pesachim, Chapter 3, Mishnah 4. This mishnah deals with the practical manner in which the dough is to be kneaded and baked.
The opinion of Rabban Gamliel:
Rabban Gamliel says: "Shalosh nashim lashos ke'achas ve'ofos betanur echad zu achar zu" - three women may knead their dough at one and the same time, and then bake in that same oven one after another. Even though this creates a delay, since while one is baking her two companions wait their turn, and since all of them are occupied with the very same stage they must wait for the oven one after the other, Rabban Gamliel is not concerned about this.
The opinion of the Sages:
The Sages disagree and rule that such waiting is liable to bring the dough to leavening, and therefore: "Shalosh nashim oskos babatzek, achas lashah ve'achas orechess ve'achas ofah" - three women work with the dough, one kneading, one shaping and one baking. There are two reasons for this: constant handling of the dough prevents it from leavening, and in addition each of them is at a different stage of the process:
"Achas lashah" - she kneads the dough.
"Ve'achas orechess" - she arranges and prepares the matzos.
"Ve'achas ofah" - she bakes in the oven.
In this way the process moves along continuously and without any waiting, and each woman is handling the dough while the work advances, so the concern that it will come to leaven is reduced.
Rabbi Akiva's comment:
Rabbi Akiva reinforces the position of the Sages that one may not be lenient in this matter, and he adds: "Lo kol hanashim velo kol ha'eitzim velo kol hatanurim shavin" - not all women, not all wood and not all ovens are alike:
"Lo kol hanashim" - not all bakers work in the same manner and at the same speed.
"Velo kol ha'eitzim" - not all wood provides the same degree of heat.
"Velo kol hatanurim" - ovens are not equal in their baking capacity or in their speed.
For this reason one must do everything possible to prevent the dough from leavening, and therefore Rabbi Akiva sides with the Sages, that it is proper for each woman to occupy herself with a different part of the process rather than for all of them to be at the same stage.
This is the rule:
In conclusion the mishnah teaches a practical rule, how to act when one notices that the dough has begun to leaven: "Zeh haklal: tafach - tiltosh betzonen" - if it is evident that the dough has risen, meaning that it has begun to spread and swell, one should strike it with one's hands in cold water, and this action halts the process of fermentation.
In summary: in this mishnah Rabban Gamliel and the Sages disagree about how the kneading and baking are to be managed. According to Rabban Gamliel three women may knead at one time and bake in a single oven one after another, while according to the Sages each one must be occupied with a different stage - kneading, shaping and baking - so that the dough is handled constantly and without any waiting. Rabbi Akiva supports the Sages and emphasizes that women, wood and ovens are not all alike. And finally the rule is established: dough that has risen is patted down with cold water in order to stop the leavening.