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TCR’s Sourdough Bread > Preparing the Dough

Stretching and Folding the Dough

[bread]
Stretching and folding the dough produces light and airy texture

After the salted dough has rested about 30 minutes, stretch and fold it for the first time. Repeat the every 20 – 30 minutes.

On each round, stretch the dough from each of three sides of the plastic container, in turn, and fold the dough toward the opposite side. Skip folding from the fourth side, but remember which side was skipped and begin the subsequent folding with that side.

The total time for resting and folding is about about 3 – 3.5 hours (about 6 foldings total). During this time, the dough should rise to about doubled in volume. At the end, the dough should be full of air bubbles, feel smooth (not sticky), and have a nice soft texture.

Toward the end of the 3 hours, be gentler when stretching and folding so that the internal air-bubble structure does not collapse.

On each folding:

  1. Wet hands so the dough will not stick to them.

    [wet hands]

  2. Reach had under the dough along the first chosen side of plastic container.

  3. Grab the dough.

  4. Stretch the dough.

    [folding]

  5. Fold the dough over toward the opposite side of the container and then press down.

    [folding]
    Fold dough to opposite side of container and press down
    [folding]
    Folded dough
  6. Repeat Steps 2 through 5 for the second chosen side of the container.
  7. Repeat Steps 2 through 5 for the third chosen side of the container.
  8. Cover the plastic container.
  9. Note the side that was skipped in the folding and put the plastic container in the 80° F oven.

To keep track of which sides to fold from, I place the dough in the oven with the long sides of the plastic container facing the front and back of the oven. When I remove the container, I consider the long side of the plastic container that was facing the front of the over to be the front of the container. I fold as follows:

  • Fold from right of container (a short side) to left.
  • Fold from back of container (a long side) to front.
  • Fold from left of container (a short side) to right.
  • Rotate the container so that the long side that was not folded (the front in this round) is facing to the back of the oven so that it will be folded during the next round.
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