Folding

Folding is a step we sometimes include in our yeasted dough recipes. We may recommend it intermittently during the bulk fermentation stage. Folding is necessary in high-hydration doughs (those with a high proportion of water relative to dry ingredients) as well as lightly mixed doughs. The process of folding helps build structure in the dough by organizing and aligning the gluten network. It’s an amazing little step that has an enormous positive impact on the strength of the dough.

To fold the dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. For very wet doughs, make certain to have enough flour on the work surface to keep the dough from sticking, but avoid using too much flour.