Shaping

Shaping is the process of taking dough that has finished bulk fermentation and forming it into its final shape, usually a round boule or an oblong batard, before it goes into a banneton for its last rise. Good shaping builds a taut outer skin of dough, called surface tension, that helps the loaf hold its shape and rise upward rather than spreading outward.

The technique generally involves a gentle pre-shape to organize the dough into a loose round, a short rest to let the gluten relax, and then a final shape where the dough is folded and rolled or dragged along the counter to tighten its surface. How firmly a dough is shaped affects its final crumb and height: a looser shape tends toward a more open, irregular crumb, while a tighter shape gives more lift and a more even structure.

A lightly floured work surface and a bench scraper make shaping sticky dough far more manageable. A common mistake is over-handling the dough during shaping, pressing out too much of the gas built up during bulk fermentation, which leaves less lift for the oven. Under-shaping, leaving the dough loose with no real tension, is just as common and tends to produce a flatter, wider loaf.