Shaping basic dough into balls

Once the dough is ready to be shaped, take a bench scraper and cut off a piece from the edge.

The dough will feel soft, airy and malleable. Take the piece of dough at one end and, using both hands, form a ball about 200–250 g (7–9 oz) in size. Work by tucking the folds under the ball so that the top surface is taut and smooth.

Pinch the dough underneath the formed ball to separate it from the long piece of dough.

Repeat this procedure to make more balls.

Roll each ball gently on the work surface to make it even and round.

Place the balls on a covered non-stick tray. Make sure there is at least one ball width between each ball and the edges of the tray and that the balls don’t touch the cover. Use a fine mist water spray to hydrate the surface of the balls once they are on the tray. Let rise for 1 hour at 20–24°C (68–75°F). After resting, place in a refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours. The balls can sit in the refrigerator at around 4–5°C (39–41°F) for up to 3 days.