bake - June 2019 - Pan - 33

BREAD AND BAKING

concha dough on top of the mantecada
dough prior to baking.
At El Bolillo Bakery, bakers create unique
shapes of breads and donuts inspired by
unicorns, turtles, ropes and shells.
"We allow our bakers the creative
freedom to have fun and make new
products," says Kirk Michaelis, owner
of El Bolillo Bakery, which has three
locations in Houston. "We thrive on that
creativity. They are proud of their work,
and creativity is contagious."
BREAD-SHAPING TECHNIQUES

The most apparent effect of shaping
bread is how the bread looks. Through
shaping you can change what your bread
looks like. It can be a simple rustic ball or
a more elaborate braided bread. Shaping
has been used by bakers for centuries. It is
a convenient way to distinguish between
different bread doughs after baking and
helps customers choose their bread.
Before you shape the dough, you'll
want to pre-shape it first. There are two
basic pre-shapes. The first is a basic oval
or rectangle. The second, a round, is
exactly the same as making a round loaf.
For shaping, use just enough flour on your
hands to keep them from sticking but avoid

using too much, as this can incorporate
unwanted raw flour into the dough. If your
hands do begin to stick, slide them along the
bench to gather a dusting of flour.
Just as the amount of flour on your
hands is important, so too is the flour
on the bench. The key to shaping bread
dough is to rely on the bench to slightly
tug on the dough as you drag it across. If
you use too much flour, the dough will
slide too easily, never able to develop
sufficient tension.
The surface of the dough should not
tear when shaping. This tearing can be

caused by too short of a bench rest or by
handling too forcefully. If the dough does
begin to tear, use a lighter hand when
pushing, pulling, and folding the dough.
Lightly dust the bench with flour and
flip the pre-shaped round onto the flour.
Grab the bottom of the dough with two
hands and fold it up in half. Then, using
both hands with thumbs pointing up, pick
up the dough at one side and gently fold
it over, about in half, with the seam of the
dough facing away from you. As you fold it
over also gently pull the dough toward you,
tightening the outside skin.
Repeat this pickup-and-tuck a few
more times, with a quarter rotation each
time, until the dough is gathered up.
Then, let the loose round rest in front of
you with the seam down on the bench.
Place two hands over the dough so
your thumbs are close to each other and
your hands and fingers encase the dough.
Move your hands together in a circular
motion, pushing the dough with one
hand toward the other as it's tightened
between your hand and the bench.
Continue this circular motion until
you form the dough into a uniform, taut
ball. Using a bench knife, transfer the
dough to a proofing basket, seam side up,
for the final rise.

JUNE 19

032_Pan_Jun19_Bread.indd 33

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PANADERĺA

33
5/24/2019 10:46:17 AM
bake - June 2019

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