Photo Gallery #5A Initial Development

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Published 2025

After the Autolyse...

Stretch the dough to see how much gluten has developed.
Zig-zag a metal bench scraper through the dough, left to right and back again, as you draw the scraper toward you.
Use just enough pressure so you can see strands of protein Stretch in the dough. Too much pressure rips the dough, making the bread crumbly when chewed.
After one zig-zag pass through the dough, Scrape it, pushing it toward its top edge. Use the scraper to Fold the top third of the dough toward you. Repeat the process (Steps 2, 3, and 4) for two minutes. Zig-zag, Stretch, Scrape, & Fold.
A mini Autolyse

The dough looks jagged and rough. Gather it together with your scraper dipped in water. Let the dough rest on the bench for 5 minutes. If the dough is sticky, let it air dry without a cover. After the 5-minute rest, a tacky dough is easily formed into a smooth shape.
If your bakery is cool or has low humidity, cover the dough instead. Meanwhile, clean your hands with bench flour.