Page 63 - A Literary Holiday Cookbook

4 Shape the dough into a boule by first flattening the dough into a

circle that stands about half as high as before. Flip the dough over
so that whatever side was on the bottom while kneading is now on

top. Fold the top of the circle down into the center, pressing to

adhere. Rotate circle 90° and repeat, taking care to press together
where the folds overlap to avoid air pockets. Rotate and repeat 2

more times. Flip the dough back over so that the ”seam” is on the

bottom. Cupping your hands, slide them about 2 inches under the
bottom of the dough to create more surface tension and round out

the shape. Rotate the dough and slide cupped hands underneath

again, repeating until the entire circumference has been tightened
and shaped. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Gently degas the dough

and reshape into a boule (you can degas by pressing down all over
the dough until it stands about half as high as before and creates a

7-inch-wide circle, then flipping it over so the seam will be on the

same side as before).

5 Grease a large bowl. Place dough in the bowl, turning once to coat

so that it is sitting in the bowl seam-side up. Cover with a clean
kitchen cloth and allow to rise 1 hour in a warm place. Preheat oven

to 375°F. *

6 On a lightly floured surface, turn dough out of the bowl and punch

down. Flip dough back over (seam-side up) and re-shape into a

boule. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover
with a clean cloth and allow to rest for 45 minutes.