Could you please tell me your technique for shaping your dough into that beautiful round ball? I'm always afraid I will overwork the dough and it will become tough. My loaf turned out very nice, although did not rise as tall as yours. Any extra tips would be appreciated!!
You won't overwork the dough, Deborah; it'll relax just fine as it rises. To make the ball, pull the edges down towards the bottom, all the way around in a circle; it's REALLY hard to describe with words, but you'll form a little "knot" at the bottom, so it looks like a balloon. Trust me, this is one of the first things we're going to film once we start posting online technique videos... sorry I can't be more help. Words seldom fail me, but they do in this case! PJH
January 31, 2010 at 3:22pm