High Hydration dough Shaping

[@scallen84]

8 years later and this is still one of the best shaping videos on the internet!

[@maryannplunkett5420]

100% agree

[@OlgierdKostanowicz]

Truth

[@glacialimpala]

I can't believe it never occurred to me to shape it into a cylinder, came here looking to prevent flat round breads. This guy is amazing!

[@ricardocabezas3728]

My 78 yr old father has been making bread for about 20 years, but has only got into the sourdough and this style in the last 10 or so- all of our friends and family look forward to it every week! - we have a small kitchen, but he manages to get a double batch (which is four loaves at 1.2 kg each) - he likes your videos very much! and he has learned a lot from just this particular video (which has said he has watched over 100 times) for the shaping technique etc.! I’m starting to learn the process from him so I can carry on the tradition when he’s not around anymore. :) So I guess thank you and kudos to you are in order! You rock!

[@menahahnalie8098]

10 or so years? hahah. also how was the sourdough he made? is he still making your family bread?

[@urbanturbine]

I'm so glad we live in this era where we can learn from masters directly in the comfort of our living room chair. this is fantastic video. I have been struggling with sticky dough while shaping and this gave me so many ideas

[@j.stires]

'cuz in previous eras we learned from Papa at 4am every morning then walked to school uphill in the snow [both ways], shaped and baked the loaves that afternoon as Papa says, "Where you been, huh? I been working dis dough for hours!" Enjoy your hobby.

[@alanhirschman1320]

calvinatorg What a condescending comment. Every dedicated professional baker started with a “hobby.”

[@j.stires]

@@alanhirschman1320 No, some of us learned by working for Papa at the bakery whether we wanted to or not. There's nothing condescending about my remark, I don't have the talent. ask that bear.

[@NicolasEjzenberg]

I agree ! That's amazing what you can learn on youtube !

[@kcbknitter]

@@j.stires I thought your comment was cute. I did not take it as condescending, but just a fact of how some have learned. I learned at home from my mom, so I totally get it.

[@sepalidesilva6175]

This is 2020 lockdown. So many years after you shared this video. I learned so much. Thank you.

[@harvestmoon_autumnsky]

I know...we're all breading it up these days....I'm so glad I saw this. My recipe called for 100 percent hydration starter, which I made, but I didn't realize the dough would then be so soft and sticky. I thought I screwed up somehow.

[@Rob_430]

JennyLS the hydration of your dough isn’t from your starter. Your starter is 20% by weight of the flour. It’s determined by the water flour ratio of your dough. Say you have 500g flour, add 70% water, which is 350g.

[@EA-gx7de]

​@@harvestmoon_autumnsky check out this guy Sourdough Tim and his free course notes in the link in his insta bio, he breaks down how to calculate the hydration. if you're using a 100% hydration starter, and you add 100 grams of it to your dough, 50g of that starter is flour and 50g of it is water. so if you use 300 grams of water in the dough, also consider the 50 grams of water coming from the starter. if you're using 400 grams of flour, remember 50 grams are also coming from the starter in addition the 400. so you actually have 350 grams of water, and 450 grams of flour making this example a 77% hydration flour (350 divided by 450 = 0.77 x 100 = 77%) instagram.com/serious_about_sourdough/?hl=en

[@wrightyy]

Hi from Lockdown 3, 2021.

[@mauricecornforth1233]

2020 "epidemic" scam covering up a massive crisis of overproduction, you mean.

[@danawhite7052]

This was so clear and so well presented in terms of perferct camera angles and descriptions, with the right amount of repetition - I didn't have to keep stopping and go back, or skip forward. Really well done and helpful, congrats. I've realized how useful a wider bench scraper will be and will be adding that to my sourdough toolchest. :D

[@sethgilbertson2474]

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched this just to develop that intuitive sense of feeling the dough. I’ve been making bread for almost two years and I only feel like I’m just getting started.

[@gringochucha]

I've been making bread pretty intensely for about 11 years and I feel like I'm just starting to learn something... It's a never-ending process, but that's the beauty of it as well.

[@hsun9810]

Can't stop watching this video again and again. Master baker working gracefully on those tricky wet dough, slow-mo, gentle yet firm. Only after people gone through the pain of messy sticky dough on hands will appreciate the kind of skill.

[@rogergafner5202]

The thing about breads is that it demonstrates the importance of technique. SFBI is an excellent institution replete with outstandingly good instructors, I recommend attending. I have attended multiple bread making classes from culinary schools, but I liked SFBI the best, I was in the premier class (1996). When I opened my restaurants, I made all the breads, rolls, sticks, and flatbreads that my customers enjoyed; there was a large demand for to-go bread. In addition, I have won multiple competitions in bread making and I owe much of that to the skills I developed at SFBI.

[@jibbits6499]

2:55 - 4:55 two minutes of video showed me what I've been questing for a few weeks and many many other demo videos. Bread handling has been an issue for this newbie. Thank you very much for posting this!!

[@angelascannell2952]

I've watched this about 7 times--this guy is amazing. How can a normal human handle wet, sticky dough this gently? It's like watching a magic show. He's so young, it seems it'll take me forever to get this good. Brilliant!

[@thingsnbits]

If you think this is noteworthy, I'd advise you to go watch fullproofbaking. She's nuts!

[@mewpilot8742]

Good flour, well developed dough, wet/floured hands. That's it. That's the whole secret to handling wet dough.

[@gringochucha]

@@mewpilot8742 And practice.

[@cachi-7878]

I've watched this video over and over but it is not until you try yourself you can appreciate how much practice it takes to master these movements. Best video on shaping. Thank you!

[@johnadamczyk6213]

Yeah no kidding...you can watch all the videos in the world but when you actually try it, everything sticks and its a big dough disaster anyway

[@michelleonvancouverisland3887]

This is the best video out there. Clear. Concise. Multiple angles, including from Mac's side of the bench, which is all too often left out in other videos. We see what he sees, from his angle. Beautiful. I've been watching this one whenever I go to shape since 2018 and his phrases are like a mantra to me. Thank you.

[@campb450]

I've watched this twice and have been startled by the "yay!" at the end each time. Nice teaching. Thanks!

[@majaglitter]

campb450 lmao!

[@realtoast7036]

Hilarious! I just thought the same

[@supercooled]

D&HProductions is that what high hydration nets? Soft inside meat like store bought toast? I like a very airy inside myself.

[@samiracohen7144]

I love how you show the handling of the dough from different angles. And I love how you slowly and clearly enunciate your words!

[@outthere9370]

I always remember a scene from a WW2 movie. The scene was a lull in the fighting. These American G.I.'s entered this small village bakery kitchen. One of the soldiers being Peter Falk, couldn't believe his luck. Everything was there to make bread. The G.I. was a baker b4 the war. There was this big wooden table in the middle of the kitchen. So, off to work he went. I could almost smell the bread! I remember he was at this table throwing flour everywhere, ready to make bread! 😋 For some weird reason this scene appealed to me. Didn't know why at the time? But, now I've been baking bread for over 20 yrs now with 20yr old Panasonic bread maker. Over the yrs I've literally made 1000's of loaves of bread! 😳 Thanks! This video reminded me of this movie scene. 🤗

[@afterthesmash]

Finally a video with a second camera angle on one of the key steps.

[@DebPalmer]

I've just started making Sourdough bread with a starter. A friend shared your video to show me how to shape the bread. This IS the best video I've come across!! I need to get a scraper like yours. Thank you so much for taking things slow, showing a few times at different angles and explaining along the way. You are a good teacher!!

[@sanfranciscobakinginstitut8243]

+Deb Palmer Thank you! You can get one of the "scrapers" at any hardware store.

[@wholeNwon]

That's a wallboard taping knife.

[@TelamonianTeukros]

That's an advanced (and quite impressive) technique for super hydrated bread. Start with 65% - 70% hydration until you're comfortable stretching and folding. Instead of using flour, I use a handy bowl of water. Wet your fingers and the scraper before stretching and folding, then the dough won't stick. Practice stretching and folding and shaping (and slashing) until you're comfortable, then graduate to higher hydration dough. Make sure to autolyze for an hour before incorporating your starter, then for an additional half hour or so before incorporating the salt. You'd be amazed how much of a difference that makes.

[@kcbknitter]

@@TelamonianTeukros I see that this comment is from 2 years ago, but is this for 100% white bread or will this work for whole wheat also? Watching this video, I realize that there is no way I would be able to do that with my dough right now. I use 100% White Whole Wheat (hard spring wheat) I get a good textured bread, but I think I could do better. I think my hydration is about 80 or 90%.

[@apocalypse487]

I've seen several videos of others doing this same process, but nobody shows the techniques with this much detail. Thanks!

[@gruntqueen]

I really enjoy watching people do things well. It's reassuring for some reason. An excellent demonstration. Thanks.

[@armankamalzadeh8016]

I have watched this video over 10 times! It's beautiful! The skill you use to shape the dough is mesmerising! And thanks to you, after my fourth attempt I succeeded to generate enough structure in my dough and it turned beautiful!

[@1019caveman]

Since I started making high hydration dough and long proving my bread is off the scale now. People don't believe I made it. The Key is patience and don't mess with it too much. The fold over technique is what all the top bakers are using now. Rather than all the endless needing. Great video by the way, I'm off to the hardware store in the morning for a wide scraper.

[@turtlepowersf]

Mick G i need to try this method. breadtopia has a "no-knead" method which people say has great results. i could not get mine to rise after 3 attempts. good flavor, good crust, but too dense. im down to a 3:1 white to wheat flour but im thinking the wheat flour is preventing it from rising. my starter was strong but still no oven spring.

[@peterswatton7400]

Always nice to watch some one proficient displaying their particular skill. I'll have another try.

[@kennethreister7619]

Wow! Absolutely the best sourdough handling video I've seen. Well described. Excellent Instruction. This guy really knows what he's doing and can instruct too.

[@allanrussell353]

Its good to be able to watch a craftsman at work, very straight forward with no BS.

[@primate924]

Gorgeous result. The multiple camera angles on shaping is very helpful. Thank you for posting

[@tasosmenelaou4204]

The best video on shaping of bread I have ever seen. The guy is MASTER!!!

[@kimnilsson7501]

Totaly agree. And best thing, now we can learn and become soo muchj better (but not and never, in pair, unfortenately)

[@Blueraazor]

I always come back to these videos for a tune up

[@evelynwald9132]

Thank you for this video. Today I made a higher hydration sourdough (72%) than I normally use (65%) and used your video as a guide to help shape a wetter bread. I still have a lot of technique to master as I was not as sure footed as you. My dough seemed to stick to the board and my hands a lot more than your dough. I also tried without putting flour down on my board. I was semi successful. It’s in my proofing basket in the refrigerator now and only tomorrow’s bake will show how successful I was. I will be very happy if I achieve that glossy, open crumb interior. The good news is no matter what, the bread will be gone by Sunday, and I will get to make more and practice again. :)

[@evanroth7938]

My dough is a lot stickier than his, too-from the comments, it seems that may boil down to his use of a kneading machine and all-white flour.

[@kennethreister7619]

@@evanroth7938 Try the stretch and fold method if you haven't already. kzbin.info/www/bejne/foG8hX-YiN6Chbc While this video series does include the use of a mixer, the flour is whole wheat. The stretch and fold method will lead to great gluten development.

[@Lamppostout]

The Tartine Bread book tries its best to describe the bench knife rounding method, employing words and photos, but I couldn't fully comprehend the technique until I saw your video. It is immensely helpful to watch the way in which you sweep the bench knife up and across the board to rotate the dough, rounding it on each go. Thank you!

[@evelynwald9132]

This has been so helpful. I have just started working with sourdough bread as a home baker. Even though I am no where near your skill level, you provided me with the best tip ever - the 8 inch plaster knife. I ran out to the hardware store and got one and it has already made my life so much easier already as I have small hands. Thank you so much!!

[@evanroth7938]

Plaster knife is a game-changer!

[@briandaunheimer5556]

Your video just solved a major problem for my attempts at making sourdough bread--actually, several problems I have been having!! Handling this dough has been ridiculously frustrating. Now, I believe I can try it again with some degree of success. I have been using flour on the shaping surface, making it very difficult to shape a loaf. Thank-you!

[@pinkskitchen]

Nice shaping ideas my friend. TFS. Stay connected 😊

[@michaeld8532]

What a work of art. Beautiful dough at such hydration, and illustrating amazing craftsmanship. Unless you've tried this, no-one will ever know the skill involved here. Thank you for sharing.

[@illeanaramirez6964]

Excellent video. I am a home baker, and I have wished to be taught at your baking institute because I have heard it is a wonderful place to learn as it is worldwide recognized. Thank you from Costa Rica.

[@rbfreund]

Wow, this is a very insightful video. I am a moderately experienced amateur bread maker with around 2000 loaves under my belt in the past 20 years. These were almost exclusively lower hydration, 100% home ground whole wheat, loaf loaves. I thought I was pretty good until having to handle 80% hydration loaves, which pretty much defeated me. I used lots of wet hands but could never get the tension I wanted in the shaping. Decent oven spring, but not what I wanted. This video was eye opening. I just pre-shaped, rested, and shaped two beautiful loaves with the best tension I have ever achieved. Kudos to the baker.

[@jawtucker]

Watching you handle the dough, is like watching ballet dancing. Your hand movements are so delicate and tuned in handling the bread.

[@wholeNwon]

I've handled high-hydration bread doughs successfully for years but now will modify some of my techniques. Thanks for sharing your expertise.

[@susanphillips944]

ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!!!!!

[@mickkollins]

Your hand movements as you wield the scraper are in itself a work of a master!

[@TheBERCLAZ]

Great!. Rodrigo Santiago, the best baker we have here, show me this video. Thanks a lot. Marcio - Curitiba -Brazil

[@santiagoabagge]

Márcio Berclaz thanks mate!!!!

[@horaciosalles]

incredibly professional, I've grown to respect the sfbi more and more.

[@pearbaby]

so satisfying to watch

[@danawhite7052]

Oh, and I bought a bench scraper/putty knife like the one in the video, and I have too many sourdough loaves in the freezer so I haven't been able to use it to bake any soudough yet, but we used it when making pastry for homemade chicken pot pies, and it was really helpful with that. Really looking forward to using it the next time I make some sourdough loaves. Brilliant addition to my kitchen toolset.

[@studentdeljuego]

Most effective technique so far for shaping wet dough.

[@kberken]

This is amazing. I've been handling bread dough for decades and never saw this technique. I'm doing this from now on. As a matter of fact I've got a batch of dough rising for tomorrow.

[@jfollas698]

Learning to make sourdough myself. I appreciate how much SKILLS this guy is showing here. He makes it look so easy.

[@smallfootprint2961]

This is the best demo of how to handle this dough. I'm going to try. I'll get a ss taping knife, I think. I've tried to find a dough scraper at the store, in my small town with no luck, but the taping knife is a winner... Thanks.

[@myworld9746]

New to the whole sourdough process. Having problems with bread falling flat. Will try this method next time. Very clear instructions. Thank you

[@katyingram7457]

Brilliant video and amazing skills! Thanks for taking it slowly and explaining in full.

[@bhuvidya]

All I can say is thank you so much for all your great instructional videos

[@mello_yello_23]

Well that was beautiful.

[@BeingReal1]

Exceptional demonstration. The best I've watched so far. Geez, my dough was so stiff before baking. Also, I don't know if I'm over kneading. How would I know? And my starter dough isn't very bubbly when I start off.

[@HeartPumper]

Awesome teaching skills! Slow movements with great explaining narrative. I bet, watching you going full speed, would be a jaw dropper :D Plus that plaster scraper - brilliant idea!! Super video, thank you!!!!

[@antichavista82]

Dude makes it look so easy but I'm at my third try and the bread still comes out a bit flat. Lots of respect for people who are able to master this beautiful technique.

[@TikkaMasalaa1]

hang in there it can take you a year and thats just the beginning!!!!

[@cozyvamp]

Thanks for this! I haven't baked bread in a long time, and I had to admit that starting with a wet dough is feeling a little intimidating. Watching this demo may just give me back my confidence.

[@JR-tq5ck]

Excellent presentation of this technique. Thanks for sharing!

[@billybass4189]

Awesome instructions, like this technique with absolute minimal handling of the dough.

[@justrosy5]

Thank you! I'm just starting to learn how to make sourdough bread, and I appreciate your taking the time to show everyone how this is done!

[@laura3071934]

I just can't stop watching your video, you are an awesome teacher! thanks for taking the time to show things slowly for us. I've got my taping knife and I'll do my first attempt tomorrow ;) Hands down the very best video on handling wet dough I've seen!

[@dingdongrocket]

old video but timeless technique - you are a maestro with the spackle trowel. are workshops every given at the bakery

[@michaeltheisen7774]

Mac was my instructor for the sourdough course at SFBI. Bravo.

[@LuckyDragon289]

Had great success employing this method with a no-knead 90% hydration dough. The bench scraper really made all the difference!

[@podlak]

The dough is beautiful, and with this awesome technique it almost feels like it's not high hydration :-)

[@DANVIIL]

I love this video and if I tasted the bread, I'd love it even more. A master at anything can make it all look so easy! Thanks for the instruction.

[@Mikodemuz]

SO mesmerizing and inspiring to watch you work with the dough.

[@Rob_430]

This is a great video. I’ve mixed & kneaded dough by hand, and by machine. The dough by machine is better and easier to handle. That amount of dough I can tell was done by mixer.

[@evanbarker5611]

Bread mastery, such a pleasure to watch.

[@hsun9810]

Wonderful presentation, that must have taken years of practice! You've made everything seem so easy, watching this may greatly boost the confidence among beginners, until they get stuck by all the wet dough on their hands.

[@TheBiancaBrits]

So mesmerising to watch! Great video, thank you for detail

[@mnmlst1]

Yaaaaaaay! Loved the ending! Amazing instructional video!!!

[@llllllllllilillii]

You are a treasure. Thank you so much for helping us.

[@simonheape5279]

Brilliant video! Just gotta master the art now!

[@makingiteasywithliz]

I love watching you work, you make look so easy.

[@flightmasterr231]

Having just tried to do this, I can say this guy is an expert

[@growinglongisland]

You make it look so simple your a true professional

[@TomNavesink]

Great shaping video

[@richardharris5336]

That bread looks amazing at the end! This technique is really helpful for handling high hydration dough.

[@elisavetastoilova]

I just watched this. It’s tremendous. Does this chef have any more videos of bread making and shaping?!? ☺️

[@yinyanchan]

This is still the best shaping video in 2021! I don't quite understand what he was doing to the sim at the end of the final shaping. He seems to be tucking the sim into the dough with his thumb.

[@dilyangeorgiev2698]

This is just perfect. Looks so easy in your hands. But it is sooo hard in real .

[@clutchmadness]

You know someone is good when they make it look easy

[@pourlafamille]

your technique is awesome my friend.

[@rawmark]

Great video. Thanks for sharing these easy to follow tips.

[@JSTpacek]

i find this video so useful and watch it again and again.

[@Summer2loveme]

Ohhhh.... those dough are so adorable... like babies they have to be handled with extreme care!

[@taroman7100]

Excellent demo! Thanks💗

[@DANVIIL]

Awesome demonstration with stunning results!

[@arnekim1922]

made my first sourdough this week, and he seems godlike

[@11219tt]

Jesus really nice crum. Also great tutorial. My biggest problem with my crum is in shaping. So this will help.

[@Flairatic1146]

Thank you so much, this video helped me a lot. I have for the first time managed to create a lovely high round boule. It has made sense of the two stages too. I was struggling to understand the necessity for pre shape then 2nd final shape this video makes it so clear. It is great to see a professional at work as you handle the dough with such confidence and I think that is key, I was definitely a bit hesitant before.

[@clockent]

How did you perform the final shaping of the boule? Any advice on that?

[@spacial2]

Fabulous. Great demonstration. Clear explanation. Thanks.

[@pamagee2011]

Great camera angles

[@latui7350]

omg I love you. I had the worst experience with a high hydration dough over the weekend. I was definitely not prepared.

[@IntrepidYouTuber]

So darn professional 😀 beautiful to watch!

[@BeachsideHank]

Take a magnet with you to the home center/ hardware store, select a "scraper"- aka taping knife, you like, if the magnet fails to stick to the shiny metal, you've got a very high quality stainless steel knife. There are lesser quality stainless alloys called ferritic that will also resist rust, but the magnet will be attracted to them so it won't be a definitive test. The type you don't want are carbon steel, usually the cheapest knife on the display board, it will rust even sitting in the drawer.

[@kosbebot6360]

Thanks for sharing you skill and experience.

[@Samirustem]

not planning to make bread, never will use those moves but i like to watch you move that dough

[@chelmi49]

congratulation really beautiful skills!

[@M-a-k-o]

Amazing technique. Thank you for sharing.

[@Nae641]

Just have my first sourdough bread in the oven. Made a starter sourdough ready in a week and was afraid to take it instead of my normal dry yeast. But so far it works just good. The dough raised, it is not fat on the oven, raised a lot. But it seems to be ready in 45 min for 500 gram flour! I never do measurements but i have to get a scraper!