Photo Gallery #8 The Shaping Sequence

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Published 2025

Divide

If you divide your dough by eye, use a scale to check its weight. This develops your skill and accuracy.
First Form

Place dough on a lightly floured bench. Grab the top and stretch it lightly.
Fold the top so it meets the bottom edge of the dough. Keep the dough loose, the first form is a gentle round.
Rotate the dough 90 degrees. Grab the top and stretch gently. Fold it to meet the bottom edge of the dough once again. Repeat the process: Rotate, Grab, & Fold. Invert the dough. Tuck loose ends underneath.
Bench Rest

Coat the dough with oil or pan spray. Cover the dough with plastic, leaving some space where the dough meets the table so it can expand. Rest the dough for 20 minutes.
Final Form

Lightly flour the bench. Invert the dough with a scraper. More gently this time, repeat Steps 2, 3, and 4. Round the dough on the bench using the the Two-Handed Rounding Gesture or the Poker Chip Gesture (see Appendix 1).