Gold strengthened on Wednesday, supported by weakness in the dollar, after the minutes of a Federal Reserve meeting showed monetary easing might be needed soon, while palladium rose to its highest level in a week. Spot gold rose 0.4 percent to $1,355.45 an ounce by 0615 GMT, regaining ground lost in the previous session. US gold futures for December delivery gained 0.7 percent to $1,356.4.