Shape

A key reason for shaping dough carefully, rather than just rolling it into a ragged ball or sausage shape, is to help control its form when proving and baking. This gives you a better chance of avoiding unexpected bursts, or ruptures, which can have a negative impact on the look and even texture of your Real Bread. This is all much easier if the dough is slightly tacky, so don’t add flour or your hands will slip and the loose ends of the dough won’t knit together so easily. You also need to try to minimize contact time with the dough at each movement, as the longer your hands are in contact with the dough, the more chance it has to stick to them.