I'm so glad this topic was listed in an email yesterday! Since I've always struggled with shaping yeast-dough loaves, this preshaping procedure--which, incredibly, I've never heard of before--should help me a lot. If uniform density throughout the dough is what we're after, then I can see the efficacy of working it with a bench knife and a hand. The bench knife gives you a clean pick-up for lifting and rotating, while your hand interprets the feel of the dough so you can make adjustments. It isn't anything I expect to "get" the first time around. Or the second. Right now I'm making Sharon's Whole Grain Dinner Rolls & Bread, so later today I'll try Maurizio's method first.

• Reply