The shaping change that fixed everything

I changed how I pre-shape last month and my oven spring is the best it's ever been.

Here's what I was doing wrong: I was over-handling the pre-shape. Lots of pulling, lots of folds, lots of muscle. I thought tighter = more structure = better rise.

What I do now, after watching a French baker's video and trying it for two weeks:

1. Turn the dough out of the bulk vessel onto a lightly floured counter. Don't deflate.
2. With a bench scraper, do three gentle pushes — under the dough on three sides, pulling it toward the center.
3. That's it. The dough should be a loose round with a little tension on the surface, not a tight ball.
4. Bench rest 25 minutes (not 15).
5. Final shape is the only time I add real tension.

Two weeks in, the boules have visibly more spring. The crumb is more open. Same recipe, same starter, same oven. Just less muscling.

Pre-shape is the step everyone over-thinks. Less is more. Trust the bench rest.

— Sarah