The previous videos have shown you how to divide a dough, fold each piece neatly before laying them to rest, then how to make a tight cob.
The Mini-Series
- Pt. 1: Dividing The Dough, “Air Fold”
- Pt. 2: Moulding A Cob
- Pt. 3: Professional Cob Moulding With Testing For Readiness
Shown in this video
This video reinforces these actions by showing dough handling and cob making at craftsman pace. Where it advances your knowledge is in the section dealing with assessing whether they are relaxed and ready for moulding – by poking them.
The soft underbelly poking test
When teaching, I have a nickname for this action: the “soft underbelly poke”, and that is precisely what you do.
With an upright finger sliding along the bench you poke the edge of the piece right at the point where it is lying on the bench. Your thrust intrudes inwards, leaving a dent in its underbelly edge. Be gentle, yet steady and firm enough to dent it if it is yielding.
If it is not yielding and has the gluten strength to repel you and push out the attempted dent, then it is indicating it is not yet ready for moulding, and needs more rest time.
Hi Paul, these bring back happy memories of a great weekend last November and work well as an aide de memoir. For future reference the end cut-off of videos 2 and 3 is a bit brutal but this doesn’t affect the overall content.
Best wishes, David
Great vids, Paul, and typical of your gentle teaching style. My lad’s just got into baking, too, and it makes me want to send him to you for a week. Here’s hoping!
Great little videos Paul, easy & clear to follow. I always use the ‘soft underbelly poke’ just as you taught me on your course, when testing my loaves for moulding.
Following attendance on your going professional course I’ve set-up my own micro-bakery in Lancashire (www.deerstonesbakery.co.uk). Your expertise really helped me set-up my business and I use the skills you taught me daily. Enjoying the newsletters and the website is fab too. Will you venture onto twitter next!
Kelly