Dividing
Dividing refers to portioning bulk fermented dough into individual pieces before shaping. First, turn your dough out onto your work surface. A rounded bowl scraper makes it easy to remove dough from a bowl, while a straight-edge bench scraper is ideal for dividing dough on the work surface and shaping dough.
Before dividing, lightly dust your work surface with flour. I like using a flour duster because it distributes flour evenly and gives me better control over how much flour I apply.
To divide the dough cleanly, press the dough cutter firmly and straight down through the dough rather than pulling or tearing the pieces apart. This helps preserve the dough’s structure and creates clean, consistent portions.
For evenly sized pieces, use a digital kitchen scale to weigh each portion as you divide. Even small differences in weight can affect baking time, shape, and overall consistency.
Shaping
Shaping involves manipulating the dough with your hands and a straight-edge bench scraper to create its final form while building surface tension. This tension helps the dough hold its shape and encourages it to rise upward during baking, resulting in an airy crumb and an even crust.
Pre-Shaping
Preshaping is the first time you shape the dough, gently forming it into a round. A typical method is to place one hand lightly on top of the dough and a straight-edge bench scraper in the other hand on the side of the dough.
Using both your hand and scraper, rotate the dough 90 degrees, then withe scraper positioned at the top, use it to pull the dough toward you, creating tension. Repeat this motion two more times until the dough forms a smooth round. Alternatively you can skip the scraper and use both hands in the same fashion.
After preshaping, dust the dough with flour, cover with a tea towel so it does not dry out, and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes. This rest allows the gluten network to relax and reorganize before final shaping. Moving directly into final shaping with too much tension can cause the dough to resist shaping or make it difficult to maintain its final form.
Final Shaping
Final shaping builds additional surface tension and gives the dough its final form. Start by flipping the dough so the seam side is facing upwards and gently flatten or stretch the dough to begin shaping.
There are many shaping techniques, but all are designed to achieve a specific shape or structure, such as a boule (round) or batard (elongated). The shaping method you use should match the type of bread you are making and the structure you want to achieve.
- For a round loaf, one common method is to fold the dough like a “sleeping bag,” starting by folding the left and right sides inward like an envelope, then rolling the top of the dough downward, applying slight pressure as you roll to seal the dough.
- For an elongated loaf, fold the corners and sides of the dough inward toward the center along one side. Repeat on the opposite side. Then fold the dough in half lengthwise, bringing the two sides together like an empanada, and pinch along the seam to seal.
Turning Out
After final shaping, transfer the dough in a container that supports its shape during the final proof. (See Final Proofing for a guide.) The choice of container depends on the shape of bread you are making and whether the dough will be baked free-standing or in a vessel that provides support.
The container should be appropriately sized so the dough has room to expand while remaining supported on the sides.
For round and oval loaves, proofing baskets (bannetons) works well.
For sandwich loaves, the dough can proof directly in a bread pan (stainless or nonstick) or pullman loaf For stainless, make sure to grease the pans or lining with nonstick parchment paper is also an option.