After bulk fermentation, the dough goes through a series of steps to prepare it for the oven. It is first divided or given a loose preliminary shape called a preshape, then left for a short bench rest of fifteen to thirty minutes so that the gluten can relax before final shaping. Final shaping is where surface tension is built, often through a rolling technique in which the dough is folded toward itself, with the seam pinched closed by stitching so that the loaf holds its shape and rises upward rather than spreading outward. This shaping with structure is what gives a tall, well-risen loaf. The seam side becomes the bottom of the loaf because it is the weakest point.
Several tools support these tasks. A bench scraper is a flat, stiff tool for lifting and cutting dough on the counter, while a flexible dough scraper is better for handling sticky dough. Bench flour is dusted on surfaces and on the dough to prevent sticking, though it is used sparingly so as not to disrupt the dough's hydration. Proofing baskets called bannetons, traditionally made of rattan and lined with linen, give the loaf its shape and leave characteristic ring patterns on the crust; a couche is a heavy linen cloth used for proofing long loaves like baguettes and batards. Once the loaf is shaped and proofed, it is scored with a lame, a razor blade tool, just before baking.
Scoring serves both function and aesthetics. The cuts control where the dough expands during oven spring and prevent it from tearing unpredictably. A properly scored loaf produces an ear, a raised flap of crust, when the cut is shallow and made at about twenty to thirty degrees to the surface; deeper cuts open more dramatically and shallow cuts produce gentler ears, while decorative scoring patterns can be both functional and beautiful. The second rise, or final proof, develops flavor and structure between mixing and baking. It can happen at room temperature for a faster result or in the refrigerator for slower fermentation and more developed flavor. The dough is judged by the poke test: pressed gently with a floured finger, properly proofed dough springs back slowly and leaves a slight indentation, while under-proofed dough springs back quickly and over-proofed dough collapses and never recovers good oven spring.