What does folding do to bread?

Folding helps add strength to bread dough through a very simple series of actions: stretch the dough out and over itself. This act of stretching and folding, which takes just a few moments, helps develop the gluten network in the dough. Each fold has a significant impact on dough strength.

Can you fold bread dough too much?

Stretching and folding helps activate the gluten in wheat flour, making it easier to work with and shape. If you skip stretching and folding, chances are you will end up with soggy dough that doesn’t hold its shape before or during baking.

Can I stretch and fold after bulk fermentation?

Bulk fermentation can be done overnight, but you would need to adjust the amount of starter used in the dough and ensure the ambient temperature didn’t go above 21C. Can I stretch and fold after bulk fermentation? No. Stretch and fold is a technique used to develop the gluten before bulk fermentation is completed.

What happens if you stretch and fold too much?

How much is a slap and fold?

Slap and Fold Duration This is highly dependent on the dough (the flour itself and the hydration) you’re working with and your effectiveness in the technique, but a good rule for me is somewhere around 3-6 minutes to yield a dough that usually requires 1-3 sets of stretch and folds during bulk to finish strengthening.

How do you know when to stop stretch and fold?

How Do You Know When To Finish Working The Dough? Once every half hour you will give your dough a stretch and fold. Every single time the texture of your dough will change. It will start to look a little bit more shiny, a little smoother, and little more supple as you continue to stretch and fold.

Can you over fold your dough?

If you tried to give this strong dough a stretch and a fold-over, you’d be fighting the dough, forcing it to comply. Instead, give the dough more time to rest, let the gluten relax and become extensible again, and then perform another set (if at all). Generally, I like to wait around 30 minutes between sets.

Do you score sandwich bread?

Scoring your dough is a matter of personal preference, in my opinion. I don’t score mine, but you may like to score yours, and neither are wrong! If you want to score your sourdough sandwich bread, simply slash straight down the middle of the dough after you brush on your egg white.