March 12, 2022 - 1:25am
Deflating after bulk fermentation?
Hello. I recently saw a video of a bakery making sourdough bread. Their process seemed normal until it got to the shaping. They don't seem to handle the dough "gently and with care", instead they shape it fast and "violently" (sometimes even pressing down on the dough) which i am guessing would deflate the dough. But i thought you were supposed to shape it gently to not deflate it after the bulk fermentation, because all those bubbles are what gives structure to the loaf.
Are you supposed to deflate it after the bulk fermentation, and what effect would it have vs. not doing it?
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Up to you. Gentle shaping should give more open and wild crumb, degassing would even out the crumb.
Do you think that the structure and tension created from the fermentation bubbles still would have a positive effect on the dough and structure, even after deflating?
Just try and see how it compares! Dough should be strong after bulk fermentation even if deflated, and you can create tension during shaping.
When I shape my baguettes, I usually pad them down hard to form a nice rectangular shape so I can fold and roll them into a log shape, and my baguettes do not seem to have a structural problem.