4: How to shape a loaf of bread - Bake with Jack

Always build tension across the top of your dough... Here's the way I shape a loaf of bread at home, and the way I teach in my courses.
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[@joyosomiha2785]

Thank you for helping me get better at bread making. You're doing a fantastic job, Jack.

[@christianras259]

You are on the money there Jack.There is a truck load of bread loaves shaping out there in this mad world.good luck tis from Aotearoa new zealand😊😊

[@petermcclintock4064]

Thanks for these videos! You are an excellent teacher.

[@royksk]

Bloomin'eck Jack, another good’un. I always have bother shaping my loaf for the tin and squashing it into the corners. Not anymore! To think, I've won the Northumberland County Show white and wholemeal loaf contests several times in the past. 73 and still learning all the time. Keep'em coming.

[@lately111]

Dear Jack. Thank you VERY much for this vid! I took courage to try to grow my own sourdough starter few weeks ago, thanks to Patrick Ryan, the Irish baker. He gave me the courage to start with that - and now you give me the strenght to go on. :D :D I've been trying to do things according to Patrick, but the right technique was somehow passing by me... Now after watching this and trying what I saw here with my freshly proven dough, FINALLY, after several minutes of severe struggle the dough started to get the tension. I'm not sure how long it took me altogether, could have been over 15 minutes...but finally, I think I have understood how to build up that tension and I finally moved from flat pile of dough to a nice ball of dough. :) In retrospect, I think my problem was that I was too slow and too gentle toward my dough when shaping it. :)

[@jentheyogalawyer3801]

Thanks, Jack! You are my go-to every time I make yeast breads!

[@kellyball4051]

I've been baking bread in my cottage food business for about a year now and I've been trying to study the HOW'S to the recipes. I have no idea why I've not found you before today, but now that I have, I plan to study your videos as much as possible! I wish I were over there, I'd take some of your classes for sure! I found loads of helpful information in this video. Thanks much for your generosity in sharing your knowledge with even those of us who can not take your classes, it really means so much.

[@Bakewithjack]

Amazing. So pleased they are helpful, you’ve got a LOT of catching up to do (top tip... skip the first five or six 🤣)

[@joyosomiha2785]

I keep coming back to this video. God bless you Jack, always!

[@chuckgarland5171]

Thank you Jack much appreciated.

[@Mrsfabiana]

One explanation better than the other!!! Had seen you shaping loaves in other videos but this time it was better yet! Perfect! Congrats and tks! Fabiana from Brazil

[@elizabethheyenga9277]

Your shaping technique has worked best for me!

[@XavierKatzone]

Very nice - YOUR channel is a GEM!

[@Bakewithjack]

Thank you ☺️

[@nikkismith4970]

Thank you sooooo much for your tutorials. I feel like a professional bread maker now.....lol

[@Bakewithjack]

You’re welcome!

[@Cre8tiveConnexions]

Thankyou. The little details which you include in your videos, which I have neither read in books or seen in other videos, are so helpful and the type of thing you would pick up from being shown face to face, but miss otherwise. I have just found your channel and am currently halfway through the tips. I have seen instructions to shape the ball just like this in a book I have, but it does not state how far over to fold the dough and I was only going to the middle, not so close to the edge as you show, nor did I know the purpose of building the tension on the other side, I thought it was simply to make a nice seam. This is the sort of good teaching qualities that set your videos apart from the rest. You also show the clearest demo I have found yet of the push with thumbs and roll with finger final shaping I have seen. First time I have seen someone slow down properly and show the initial triangle shape making with the flaps folding over prior to the rolling. I am sure this will make a huge difference.

[@Cre8tiveConnexions]

Do wish you were closer to Glasgow though, lol

[@alisonhorton2180]

Brilliant... transformed my bread making !

[@leahjones4866]

Love your videos! Thank you, Jack!☺

[@vladimirmadera3248]

I've been baking bread for the last year and a half, and thanks to your weekly bread making tip every single Thursday, I have improved a lot. Still, my dough is always really sticky and wet, I think it might be because I use too much water for me to handle and I use Whole Wheat and Rye Flour. I always find helpful to go basic, so I will try again with white flour and a little whole wheat only. Thanks, Jack!

[@ornous]

Yeah, I switched to whole wheat and my doughs became much more sticky and very tricky to work with. I recently pulled my hydration rates back a touch and got beautiful results. Been increasing it gradually as my technique improves and baked my absolute best loaf this morning with a 75% hydration. Thanks so much for all the tips Jack!

[@annajsomethin]

Thank you for the tips!

[@CDClock]

thanks for the videos jack youre a real one

[@Mousland-723]

Hey Jack I watched this video yesterday morning. I had already started a new recipe for a semolina bread. I decided I would try this method for shaping the dough. It worked out great! I had a great dome and really nice rise. I thing I may have been a bit too gentle so i will go a bit more next time. I also followed your EAR method and that worked out pretty nicely as well. Thanks for the great tips!

[@Bakewithjack]

Nice one! You’re welcome ☺️

[@crishamilton6678]

Thank you Jack!

[@Bakewithjack]

You’re welcome, I hope it helped ☺️👌🏻

[@lynne1146]

Very helpful, thank you!

[@Bakewithjack]

Thanks Ik Melv :-) So pleased you found this useful!

[@runnerchom]

Jack, thanks for the video! Just a quick couple of questions: 1. What's the hydration of the dough? 2. What's the highest hydration percentage of the dough for which you can do this type of hand shaping (as opposed to dough scraper shaping)? Thanks a lot!!

[@marjanyd2234]

Helpful 👍

[@ianburrows9391]

Great videos man! Can you please show the results of the baking after your videos?

[@Bakewithjack]

Yes ☺️👌🏻

[@oyatuojiityanhaluo7176]

nice video.

[@LaraineAnne]

Thanks, Jack, though I was hoping you would show us the cooked loaf.

[@artbarn2624]

I discovered you today when I was trying to solve a problem. Your videos are great and I've learned a lot, so thank you. My problem is that when I try to make a braided bread, the strands keep snapping back to shorter, fatter pieces. After braiding I put a towel over the dough for about 60 minutes. Instead of rising as it should, it spreads and only rises a little. How do I get tension on the strands before I braid?

[@goattactics]

Nice and tall and proud...Perfect

[@bigbonobo39]

So no greasing the tin? Would you recommend against greasing a bread tin and just using flour instead?

[@azzalos]

Haha dude 0:19 you’re so charismatic

[@Bakewithjack]

☺️

[@MrPetrie]

How do I post a photo of my most recent attempt with a lame? I love your videos.

[@Bakewithjack]

Don’t think you can do it here. Try Instagram and tag me in @bakewithjack or on the FB page

[@ZaZaChiaChia]

Hi Jack! Thank you so much for all the videos! I did the same after I watched how you shape this loaf and the tip 24. But I don't know why my loafs still spread out and become flat after baking... I don't have anything to support the dough so I was really happy when I found your Bread tip 24! I usually use 65% hydration, half white and half wholemeal spelt flour, and I wait for about 2 hr after shaping.It looks great when I finished shaping, but it gets flat after about an hour.. I'm wondering is it because I always waiting for too long and it gets chance to spread? When it's free form it's hard for me to tell if it's growing bigger and ready to bake...What you think about this problem? How long would you recommend for the final fermentation? Thanks again!

[@Bakewithjack]

Tricky one! 2 hours is LONG especially if it has spelt flour because it is more extensible and therefore more spreadable... if it’s a straight yeasted dough made with spelt, I would give it 40 minutes, reshape to tighten and give it another 40 and bake. Try that 👍🏻

[@ZaZaChiaChia]

Bake with Jack Oh I didn’t think about shaping it two times! That sounds great and I’ll try it tomorrow! I use my own sourdough starter btw. Hope it would be better. Thanks So much!! Looking forward to your next episode:D

[@terrypogue]

Ive only made artisan bread in 5 minutes and the no knead bread. Id like to put the 5 minute bread in the pot for the moisture. I cant see why that would not work. I bought a baniton basket and liner. Nor sure exactly how to use it since my instructions say not to add flour. Any wisdom for use newbies who have been introduced to bread making by these method?

[@paulkazjack]

Hi jack! Can you post a link for that tin please.

[@xdanielgs]

Did you dust the top of the dough with flour during the rest/rise period before shaping?

[@Bakewithjack]

Yes a little 👌🏻

[@florbernales]

Is this sourdough bread? Thanks!

[@ronmallorn3274]

How do you fix a dough that has broken tension, from sticking to the table or your hands?

[@Bakewithjack]

Dust and rest again on the table for 15 minutes or so. Then shap again 👍🏻

[@topoyiyoraton]

Hi Jack, will this bread in a tin need scoring before going into the oven?

[@andrewbarker1190]

Just tried this with a non stick tin, normally I spray with canola, didn’t tonight. Loaf was a disaster, stuck to the tin and split in half as I tried to remove it. Canola spray ftw.

[@joeyficetola8704]

Andrew Barker I give my non stick tin a healthy wipe down with olive oil. Loaves slide right out!

[@alicad2190]

How many minutes is the final Rest?

[@beckijameson3844]

Hey Jack, I'm working with a challenging ~40% dark (whole grain) rye bread. I'm sorry. I'm in USA and we're cursed with volume measurements, which is what I had to use with this recipe I got online. The dough has 2 C. dark rye, 3 C. all-purpose flour (plain flour), 2 Tbs. dark cocoa powder, 1/4 C. (59ml?) molasses, 1/4 C (59ml?) honey, 5 tsp. SAF gold yeast, 1 stick (1/2 C.) (113g) unsalted softened butter, 1 1/2 C. (12 oz./354 ml) water, 1 Tbs. fine sea salt. It is a sticky mess! I couldn't really shape it nor have any hope of creating tension by making a gluten cloak like I do with my whole wheat (wholemeal) loaves. Why is rye such a tricky beast (other than a shocking lack of gluten) and do you have any videos specifically about handling doughs with higher quantities of rye?

[@royksk]

Becki Jameson I believe that the only accurate way to keep repeating any recipe is by weight especially in grams. Just convert your cups of flour etc by recording weights as you go along. If flour is scooped into a cup, different people will get different results depending on compaction; water by volume is never as accurate in a measuring jug, affected by angle of vision, meniscus curve etc. Measure the water as usual then weigh that amount for future reference, easy-peasy. I know I'm a pedantic sort but so what 🧐

[@somedaysoon9551]

I'll try this because every time I make bread, the inside always unfurls when I cut into it

[@ruddiesruddygoodpizza2158]

Hi jake is this same way you shape for bloomer do you nees to roll it when shaped?

[@Bakewithjack]

Yes, exacty the same. Just prove it up on a tray instead of in a tin.

[@ruddiesruddygoodpizza2158]

Bake with Jack if u prove on a tray wont it prove out instead of up

[@Bakewithjack]

George Rudd not if you've built good tension, check my other video on How to stop your loaf spreading out 👍🏻

[@juliaaquaamateur1573]

I always prove it on a tray (I simply have neither a tin, nor a basket), it may look a little bit flat, but if you shape it twice, it does not spread out too much, and it jumps beautifully in the oven.

[@bophreyhumgart2953]

Helpful...but is this method enough to de-gas the dough ane eliminate the bubbles?

[@Bakewithjack]

Good question! Depends what your aim is, mine is always tension. Check this 👉🏻 kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJyvpJqPaLeNodU

[@Fishstephenson]

Hi Jack! So, I’m doing 3 cups flour and 65% water. (Just under 2 cups.) And 1 full cup Starter. ( I like the sourness). My Starter is the consistency of thick pancake mix. Sorry no grams in my brain YET! But, I’m assuming percentages work the same right? So there is no way this dough is forming into a ball. I would have to add at least another 1 to 2 cups of flour, I’m so confused... 😭😭😭 help!

[@Bakewithjack]

Change to grams 😂 percentages don’t work the same because you are working in volume! That’s why your dough is super wet!

[@anughes]

Whats the hydration of your dough?

[@Bakewithjack]

This one? 65% 👍🏻

[@peterward6197]

Jack....why is my dough more often that not too wet to shape. Anything over 280mls of water for 500g of flour and it is so sticky? Thanks

[@Bakewithjack]

That doesn’t sound like a lot of water to me, perhaps it’s the type of flour you’re using?

[@peterward6197]

Bake with Jack thanks.... Allison’s bread flour.

[@dfeuer]

That's a pretty stiff dough at 56% hydration, unless you're using other wet ingredients like eggs. Could you be over-mixing in a mechanical mixer? If you're using sourdough, could you be over-fermenting? If you're kneading by hand, are you doing it for at least 8 minutes?

[@paulabogarin2302]

So no need of grease the tin?

[@quet6014]

Please help. Why does my sandwich Loaf have a hole in the middle? It happened 3 times now 😭

[@dfeuer]

One strong possibility is that you introduced an air pocket when shaping. Be careful when folding dough not to trap any air inside.