Folding the Dough: Video
Folding the dough (also called turning, stretch-and-fold, or punch-and-fold) during the first fermentation helps to develop the gluten and increase the strength of the dough. This means that the dough can be worked less during mixing; this is beneficial because excessive mixing can oxidize the dough, which detracts from flavor and crumb color.
The fold involves stretching the dough and folding it in thirds letter-style, then repeating the maneuver in the other direction. The whole process may be done once, twice, or more, usually spaced out evenly through the first fermentation.
I like to ferment the dough in a low, wide container so I can fold it without turning it out onto the counter. This works especially well if the dough is very wet. My video shows me picking up the entire piece of dough for stretching (the second time), but I would not be able to do this with a wet dough. Wet and/or floured hands help keep the dough from sticking to them.
Try to avoid tearing the dough during the stretching; I was not completely successful at this in this video. And the whole thing is admittedly rather sloppy, not a ton of finesse here. But until I can shoot another one, here it is:
And here’s a link to another folding video, provided by Bill Wraith, a fellow contributor to The Fresh Loaf. Note that Bill’s technique is definitely tidier than mine!
Susan, hello! What a beautiful site you’ve created. You lived in Norwich for 5 years? However could you leave?
-Katie (aka browndog)
Katie, thank you so much! It was definitely not easy to leave Vermont. And I wasn’t baking then, so I didn’t realize what a gem of a resource I had right at my fingertips in King Arthur Flour.
Thanks very much.
Love your site.
Kim,
Thank you for stopping by! I’m glad you like the site.
I too am very much enjoying reading your thoughts on bread baking.
And isn’t this folding method fabulous? When I discovered it (via Maggie Glezer’s “Artisan Baking Across America”), I couldn’t believe how much more simple it was to knead slack dough!
-Elizabeth
Elizabeth, how true. Do you love Maggie Glezer’s book? I have only had it for a short time but it’s gorgeous and the things I’ve made from it have been wonderful.
I do love it, Susan. I confess that I haven’t made a lot of things from it but I have made boules from the recipe for “Acme’s Rustic Baguettes” many many times. It is one of our standard dinner breads – one that I make to take over to friends’ houses. I don’t think it has ever failed me.
And I read it cover to cover… I use her folding technique for any slack dough bread.
But I have yet to figure out the slack dough hand kneading technique she describes in detail near the beginning of the book. I’ve stared at the text and photo many times and then just gone ahead and used the technique that I’ve blundered onto myself. (dough scraper in one hand and slopping about and stretching if at all possible with the other hand)
-Elizabeth
Hi Susan, I finally managed to watch your video. I like the idea of using a container like that. One question – how much dough is that? I’m used to working with one loaf at a time so that looks like a lot.
Kippercat, it’s about 2 kg of dough. A lesser amount would be a little more manageable to fold. On the other hand, if you have a big enough container and a reason to make a large amount of dough, even several times this amount can be folded relatively easily within the container.
Squaw Bread « Foolish Poolish Bakes on December 3 2008 at 09:21 pm:
[...] 2 or 3 minutes until the dough is smooth. Bulk ferment the dough for 2 1/2 hours (with three folds at 30 minute intervals). Divide and shape two sandwich loaves. Proof the loaves in tins for a [...]
It’s a privelege, yourwhole website, so clearly written. Thank you.
The Yumarama Bread Blog » Blog Archive » Stretch and Fold: you don’t need to knead on February 7 2009 at 02:14 pm:
[...] Susan of the WildYeastBlog offers a video of her folding technique on her page here. [...]
Kepykla nr. 5 » Blog Archive » no more going to the dark side with your flying saucer eyes on July 31 2009 at 03:10 am:
[...] 72oF, paliekame kambario temperat?roje. jei aukštesn? – paliekame šaldytuve. tešl? lankstome po 45 ir dar 45 minu?i? (taigi – po 45 min. ir pusantros valandos). svarbu po antro sykio [...]
Finally, I found a blog on bread. I would certainly be following this blog more closely now. Will see if I can contribute from time to time. Where I live, very few pp appreciate bread made wth sour dough starter; they have no idea what they’re missing. But its ok, I would still cotinue my mission on making good artisan bread; slowly but surely I would change the outlook of some of these pp.
Cranberry Bread with Sunflower Seeds and Rosemary « The Little Baker SF on May 17 2010 at 10:38 am:
[...] at room temperature for about 2.5 hours, folding the dough after 1.5 hours. Make sure the container is well oiled before returning the dough to [...]