Gérard suggests that the beginner identify and count his or her movements when shaping batards and then analyze them one by one in order to eliminate those which aren’t truly necessary. 3. This requires a honed blade and confident technique. If you’re on Instagram you should check me out — I have a bunch of short video clips of various things like shaping, scoring, etc. There is some crust tearing on the lower right side of the left batard, and on close inspection a number of minor tears in the crust of the left loaf. I don't have a problem with my boules, but I could never get the ear/grigne that you do. I certainly didn't mean to suggest that you should completely degas the dough when shaping a batard because, you are right, you'll end up with a very even, dull crumb. He produces batards which he will call baguettes if pushed. Hesitation can cause tears in the bread. For fat batards the pre-round should be slightly rounded on the long side (oval shaped). No Parisian would call them that. ... for seeing the angle at which you slashed the batards. The Batard Bread Shape. Turn the dough over and fold the sides of the dough inward, creating a trench in the middle. The effect of scoring on loaf shape. Now I can't wait to give it a go. To be able to make proper scoring on sourdough breads you need firstly need to develop the gluten in your dough properly, you need to ferment your dough for the right amount of time and you also need to shape your bread properly. First, you will want to mold it into a slightly oblong shape. As many times as I 've heard 20-30 degrees, I was holding the blade at a much higher angle. I'm in agreement with you that uneven holes are good in artisan bread and that you typically shouldn't degas the dough much when shaping. Shaping the dough can be slightly tricky. How to Shape Bread Dough - Batards - French Bread - Torpedo Loaf - Shaping Finally, after 50 minutes (20 with steam, 30 without) the loaves are baked and the effect of scoring and shaping is evident. Now I know why. Use different scoring patterns for different types of bread. If I want to prioritize the score bloom, I’ll shape on the tighter side, though in my experience fermentation, hydration, and gluten strength tend to play a bigger role than shaping … 1. Roll the dough back and forth to even it out. Mold the dough into a slightly oblong shape (think of a football). Make sure the ends of the dough are evenly rounded. When scoring, you need to cut deep enough to allow the bread to expand—but not so deep that it damages the shape of the loaf. 2. For straight sided batards and baguettes, the long side should be straight as possible (cylindrical). 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