1. Baked loaves will have greater volume, better flavor, a creamier and more open crumb structure, and more pronounced cuts 2. There is no salt in the autolyse period- salt’s tightening effect counteracts development of gluten bonds that autolyse is trying to develop.
mixing 1. check dough’s hydration and make corrections if necessary, adding small amounts of water or flour as needed-THE FORMULAS ARE BALANCED, but minor adjustments may be necessary; Example: during very humid months you may need to hold back a small portion of water to compensate for extra moisture held by the flour. It is best not to add flour if possible- since it will alter the overall proportion of salt in the formula Preshape: organizes randomly shamed dough pieces (from dividing) into more consistent shapes; makes final shaping easier and more effective. Bulk Fermentation: period that the majority of the dough’s flavor, and structural integrity develops. 1. The ideal temperature (for development of both flavor and volume/gas production) is between 75° and 80°
folding There are three main functions of folding dough during the bulk fermentation process: 1. Degasses the dough- excess carbon dioxide (generated by the yeast) will impair fermentation if not periodically expelled 2. Equalizes dough temperature- allowing fermentation and volume to occur evenly 3. Increases dough strength- by stretching and realigning the gluten strands Final Fermentation (final proof) Phase between shaping and loading loves into the oven; major goal is to raise the bread to the desired degree. 4. If either under-risen or over-risen, the eventual eating quality, as well as visual aspect of the bread will suffer. It is difficult to quantify with unvarying certainty the perfect degree of rise, since there are so many variables involved. However, 85%to 90% of rise is a fair approximation to begin with. (Loaves will have one final “spring” in the oven to gain that final 10-15%) 5. With careful and consistant observation, the baker’s eyes and hands will soon learn the parameters that work best with each individual bread.