The Fresh Loaf

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Boule Shaping Tips

JoshTheNeophyte's picture
JoshTheNeophyte

Boule Shaping Tips

I read the forkish method for shaping a boule which basically has you make 4 stretch and folds and then flip the loaf over for tightening.  Tightening requires pulling the boule across an unfloured counter with your pinkies while pushing downward on the counter and then rotating the boule 90 deg.  repeat.

 

I find that my hands are always sticking to the dough in the last step.  Any good reads or videos that might help me with the shaping step?

 

Thanks,

 

Josh

jimt's picture
jimt

Sorry, I had to edit my response as I misread your question. I personally have been having issues shaping batard so let me try a different video that covers both shapes. If this doesn't help then I would recommend a shaping video for wet dough by sfbi... the way they pre-shape actually may be useful if the dough is very wet.

4. Shaping










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High Hydration dough Shaping










Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

I'll try to explain my method for the higher hydration dough...

Pre-shape: Wet my hands, dough scraper and part of the worktop i'm working on. Tip the dough out onto the wet part of the worktop. Gather up the dough from the outer edges into the middle is if your making a pouch. Give the top a bit of a twist so that it holds. With your dough scraper flip it over on the dry surface and gently tighten up the rough boule but not too much. Let the dough rest till it relaxes, 10 - 20 minutes.

Shape: This time sprinkle some flour over your hands, dough scraper and top of the dough, enough so it doesn't stick (you don't have to flour the bench). Now flip the dough back over onto the floured side. Gently de-gas just enough to knock the big bubbles out but not completely. Pressing down gently works. Now form your boule but each time you fold brush off any excess flour. You can flod the dough into the middle, going round the dough, each time overlapping a tad. As if you're doing a pinch and fold kneading method. Or you can do a letterfold or any way you find easiest. Now flip the dough back over onto a clean part of the bench and tighten it up.

I find this is a good way to handle a wet dough without using too much flour and is easier to not get any on the indise of the shaped loaf.

Hope I've explained this ok.

Trevor Wilson on www.breadwerx.com has some great tips on shaping. Great tips all round!

JoshTheNeophyte's picture
JoshTheNeophyte

Interesting that Ken Forkish does not have a pre-shaping step in his method.  Trevor Wilson gives it significant emphasis.

Do you think Forkish left it out for as a simplification of approach, or does he represent a different school of thought?

Danni3ll3's picture
Danni3ll3

in his book. I believe it was for an especially slack dough. 

Just looked it up... it was for his Field blend loaves where he uses a bit more rye and he feels that that dough needs "a bit more strengthening" since according to him, rye makes for a sticky dough. 

Personnally, I have found that preshaping really helps with oven spring. And that using the envelope fold method for both preshaping and shaping does the trick for me. 

JoshTheNeophyte's picture
JoshTheNeophyte

I think i'm doing alright on the fold and then flip part.  It's the tightening part that i'm having trouble with.  The forkish approach is to pull the boule across and unfloured surface.  When i do this my hands always stick to the loaf.  Trevor Wilson on the other hand (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR8P8hkmSvg) is doing something different.  He is rotating the boule on an unfloured surface.  Is he tucking the edges underneath to get it tighter? Or is the motion doing all the work?  Either way, how does he manage to do this without any sticking?