Why Dividing ❗ Preshaping (Rounding) ❗ and Bench Rest ❗ Matter in Bread Baking

🌼The basic workflow of bread baking includes: scaling ingredients, mixing, first proof (bulk fermentation), dividing, preshaping (rounding into balls), bench rest, final shaping, second proof (final proof), surface scoring or wash (if needed), and baking.

🌼This post focuses on three intermediate steps that are easy to overlook but essential for good results: dividing, rounding, and bench rest.

🎈Dividing

When making multi-peak loaves, dinner rolls, or shaped buns, recipes usually call for dividing the dough into equal portions. Before dividing, weigh the bulk dough and divide by the number of pieces to get the exact target weight per piece, then cut cleanly with a bench scraper. Equal weight ensures every piece bakes evenly in the same amount of time and gives your finished loaves or rolls a neat, uniform appearance.

🎈Preshaping (Rounding)

Right after dividing, the dough pieces have irregular shapes and ragged cut edges. We shape each piece into a smooth, taut ball, known as rounding.

The standard technique is to tuck the edges gently downward and pinch the seam tight at the bottom until the outer skin is smooth and taut. You can watch my previous loaf shaping video post to see the exact hand motion.

Rounding serves as the final shape for round dinner rolls, or sets up an even, structured skin for further shaping.

🎈Bench Rest

Rounding degasses the dough and tightens the gluten network, leaving the dough firm and less extensible. If you try to roll it out right away, it will resist and snap back. Giving the dough a brief bench rest lets the gluten relax and regain extensibility so you can roll and shape it smoothly without tearing.

Always cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp cloth during the bench rest so the surface doesn't lose moisture and form a dry skin.

Adapted from references in 'Chef Meng's 100 Breads' (孟老师的100道面包).