Why bother pre-shaping?
Hello, I do what everyone suggests and after fermentation is finished, I pre shape my loaf by gathering it up in a nice tight ball with the aid of a scraper.
I then leave it 20-30 mins to relax and I do the proper shape.
I'm wondering why the proper shaping is so different in technique to the pre shape. The pre shape is lovely, I use the stickiness of the dough on the board to form wonderful tight balls.
But that's then all undone by the main shape which often feels like it's less tight than the pre shape because I'm not able to gather it all up with the scraper in the same way.
So I'm thinking, what even is the point of the pre-shape? I know it will be to get more strength into the surface. But I wonder why the second shape isn't done the same way. And indeed, doesn't the second shape ruin all that great tension built up in the pre shape?
All thoughts gratefully received.
cheers,
Ben
for most breads i bake, my final shape and pre-shape steps are not significantly different in technique; at the end, i use a bench scraper to get a tight ball (or batard) in either case. so: the big differences between your two shaping processes/techniques might be helpful for you to explain.
i think the main reason the final shaping doesn’t “undo” the preshaping for me is because the top surface after preshaping, where all the good tension is, stays the top surface after final shaping. is this not true for your methods?
just my first thoughts off the top of my head!
-c
Thank you for taking the time to reply.
In most of the online methods I see, the preshape is done using a spatula to tuck the dough under into a tight ball.
Then in the final shape I see all sorts of different techniques which usually involve stretching the dough into an oblong or triangle then folding it back up into a ball in all sorts of ways but generally a platting technique.
I just find that the surface is much tighter when I use the spatula and tuck under. The platting method always leaves me feeling like the loaf isn't quite as tight, although I do wonder sometimes whether I'm over-fermenting.
Anyway, I hear you about the top surface and that is what I shall certainly concentrate on from here. Thank you for your thoughts, most useful.
Preshape - whats that now. Enjoy!
Are you making one loaf or many? If only one load you may well not need to pre-shape.
I worked in a bread bakery starting in the late 1950s and, in a moderately large scale setting, the whole idea of the pre-shaping was to take the scaled dough and any scraps needed for the desired final weight and gently shape the dough into a rough version of the final shape. Then rest the dough while the remainder of the batch was scaled. This is not intended to be a tight shape.
The final shaping is where the tension is added to the loaf. Then comes the final proof, scoring and baking.
Dave
Thank you for this, it's most useful.
I'm wondering, as you say, whether preshape is best when you've portioned off the dough for each loaf and it needs to be brought into some sort of order. This is how I shall approach my next batch for sure.
Thank you for your thoughts.
I always pre-shape. I first divide the dough into the desired weight and pre-shape into a round. I let them sit for about 20 to 30 minutes to relax. The dough can then be easily finally shaped into batards, boules or baguettes. The extra time is well worth it and adds time to the fermentation.
Gavin
Thank you for this. It seems to me that some sort of shaping is needed after the bulk has been divided and that's how I shall treat it with my next batch.
I also pre-shape lightly to give the dough a chance to relax. But it varies - if the fermentation has proceeded faster than expected or the dough is for whatever reason more extensible than I'd aimed for, the rest is less to none. Also, the higher % of weaker-gluten grains, typically the less I give a rest. They don't need relaxing as much as stronger doughs.
Reading the dough is what makes you a good baker, Gadjowheaty.
Dave
Really useful thank you.
I wonder whether often I preshape and wait when tyhe dough is already overfermented and of course this makes the main shaping much harder.
Next time I will pay more attention to the dough, thank you.
Pre shaping was always referred to as handing up, the dough pieces where scaled and quite irregular in shape, handing up produced dough balls that were then all very similar and allowed to rest, quite often if the dough was a large one by the time all pieces were scaled and handed up it was time to start final shaping. At point of sale miss shapen or un even or smaller loaves would often be left behind by the paying customer. So if all your loaves are uniform to start with a whole better chance they'd be equal at the end. Pre shaping is often different for different breads that are going to be made a rectangle shape is required if the dough is going to be pinned out for cinnamon scrolls for example.
i have just reviewed my hand written notes as a first year baking apprentice 56 years old but still true
Kind regards Derek
That's really a treasure, Derek. Thanks for posting it.
Dave
Thanks Dave, i bet i'm the only one in my class that has kept those notes from our days at tech college, and i still do look through them from time to time.
Another thing that has just hit me and this goes for when a large dough is scaled and the dough pieces when handed up are on the bench, is that even if they are in close proximity they pull apart for the final shape quite readily. this i guess is from a tightening of the surface of the dough pieces in the handing up.
What a wonderful reply and how lovely to go through your old notes, thank you so much for sharing.