The Fishtail Technique

Named for the back and forth motion of a fish’s tail, this technique is used to develop a slack dough directly on the baker’s bench. With a metal scraper drawn through the dough in a gentle zig-zag gesture, the protein network develops without ripping. With a plastic scraper in your other hand, it’s easy to manage the dough and keep it from sticking to your hands. (HTBB, p 266–7)