Forming the Dough Ball

30 minutes after the last folding, form the final dough ball:

1. Sprinkle the cookie sheet with about 1 Tbsp flour.
   

   

2. Turn the dough from the plastic container onto the floured cookie sheet.
   

   

   

3. Wet hands so the dough will not stick to them. The moisture also makes the folded dough stick better at the seam.
   

   

4. Gently pat dough into a rounded rectangle of roughly uniform thickness.
   

   

   

5. Form the final ball shape by folding the dough from each of four sides and then sealing the seam.
   

   

   

   

   

   

6. Line the proofing basket with a cloth and then sprinkle the cloth with about 1 Tbsp flour.
   

   

7. Lift the dough ball from the cookie sheet and place into proofing basket with the seam down.
   

   

   

8. Fold the ends of the cloth over the dough ball to cover it.