Shaping
After a 5-minute rest that makes the dough easier to handle, it's formed into
the desired shape (loaf, rolls, etc.) in preparation for the final rise.
Final Rise
For the final rising stage, the shaped dough is placed on a baking sheet or
in a pan. The dough should be lightly coated with cooking spray and covered,
just as it was for its first rising. The rising procedure and method of checking
for doneness remain the same as in the first rise.
Some recipes call for slashing or cutting into the dough. Originally done to identify
the type of bread, slashing is still done for cosmetic reasons, and to allow the
bread to expand as it bakes without tearing or cracking. Be sure to use a very
sharp knife or sharp scissors to slash the dough.
An egg wash (a mixture of egg white and water) is sometimes brushed on the dough
before it's baked to create a glossy, crusty surface.
Baking
Remember to preheat your oven. In the early minutes of baking, the yeast goes
through a final growth spurt called oven-spring (in a well-lit oven, you can
actually see the surface of the dough move) before it begins to die. The trapped
carbon dioxide that was holding up the gluten strands evaporates just as the
heat causes the gluten to harden in place. This series of events determines
the bread's final shape and size -- and all depends on an accurate oven temperature.
Completely baked bread will have a beautiful golden-brown color and sound hollow
when tapped on the bottom. If you are baking bread in a loaf pan, cover both hands
with oven mitts and remove the loaf from the pan to tap the bottom. You should
always begin checking your bread 10 minutes before the end of the recommended
baking time, in case your oven tends to run hot.
Storing
Cool freshly baked bread on a wire rack (which prevents steam from softening
the crust) for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Cool completely before wrapping.
Wrap bread in a clean kitchen towel or several layers of cheesecloth -- both
of which allow bread to breathe. Store at room temperature (a bread box really
is the ideal place). Keeping bread in the refrigerator will cause it to dry
out. You can wrap most breads in heavy-duty foil and freeze them for up to 1
to 2 months.
