Dividing

*For when making multiple loaves at a time or when taking a big loaf and splitting it up into personal sizes*

Ah, the art of dividing dough – such an important step in the sourdough baking process! As an experienced sourdough baker, I know this can be a tricky maneuver, especially for beginner bakers. But trust me, once you get the hang of it, it becomes an essential technique that will take your homemade loaves to the next level.

You see, after that glorious bulk fermentation where your dough has developed all that amazing flavor and structure, you can’t just go tearing into it willy-nilly. Nope, you’ve got to carefully divide that dough into perfectly portioned pieces, ready to be shaped into individual loaves.

The key is to do this in a way that preserves all the hard work you put into developing that dough. You want to handle it as gently as possible, avoiding any unnecessary deflating or tearing. A light, delicate touch is the name of the game here.

Now, the specific steps for dividing will depend on the size of your dough batch and the loaf shapes you’re going for. But in general, you’ll want to use a sharp bench scraper to carefully portion out the dough into equal pieces. Then, you can shape those pieces into your desired loaf shapes, whether it’s classic boules, long batards, or even mini loaves.

The end result? Beautifully uniform, well-shaped sourdough loaves that will bake up with the perfect rise and crust. It’s the kind of artisanal touch that will have your friends and family raving about your sourdough skills.

So don’t be intimidated by the dividing process – with a little practice, it will become second nature. Just remember to be gentle, use that trusty bench scraper, and have fun shaping those gorgeous loaves. Your sourdough game is about to level up in a big way!