Shaping Styles

There are five basic styles for shaping bread dough: round, log, bâtard, baguette, and pan loaf. Regardless of which style is desired, a pre-shape is always done prior to the final shaping. And even if both the pre-shape and final shape are of the same style, the dough must be reshaped as directed before proofing and baking. During both pre-shaping and final shaping, the dough should be placed on a lightly floured surface; too much flour will impact both the crust and texture of the baked loaf. Before creating the final shape, the dough is always turned seam side up using a bench scraper before any actual shaping is done.