Folding Over the Dough

Dough is folded over to redistribute the available food supply for the yeast, equalize the temperature of the dough, expel the built-up fermentation gas (carbon dioxide) and ethyl alcohol, and further develop the gluten in the dough. This may be done during bulk fermentation, bench rest, or final fermentation.

Doughs that have a typical hydration of around 67 percent or less should be treated gently during the folding process. It is more difficult for the gases resulting from the fermentation process to leaven the bread because of its density and the tightness of the gluten. For these reasons, it is important to fold carefully to preserve the already developed structure. A slack (wet) dough, such as that for ciabatta, requires more aggressive treatment when folding over. It is more difficult to develop the gluten in slack doughs; they require more gluten development to hold their shape and retain their inner structure.