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Stretch and Fold: the Gentle Way to Strong Sourdough
Sourdough is rarely kneaded. Instead, you build gluten strength with stretch and folds: a few seconds of gentle work every half hour while the dough ferments. Here is the whole technique.
How to do one set
- With a wet hand, grab the edge of the dough on one side.
- Stretch it upward until you feel resistance (do not tear it).
- Fold it over the top of the dough ball.
- Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat, four folds equal one set.
A set takes about twenty seconds. The wet hand is not optional, it is what keeps high-hydration dough from gluing itself to you.
How many sets, how far apart
The standard rhythm is 4 sets, about 30 minutes apart, starting 30 minutes after mixing. Slack, wet doughs benefit from an extra set or two; stiff doughs may need only three. After the last set, leave the dough completely undisturbed for the rest of bulk fermentation, that stillness is when the open crumb develops.
How to know the dough is done folding
- It holds its shape in the bowl instead of slumping flat within minutes.
- The surface looks smooth and slightly glossy.
- A gentle stretch shows elasticity, the dough pulls back.
When the dough already resists and springs back at the start of a set, it has enough strength, stop folding regardless of the count.
A timer that rings for every fold
Start a bake in Sourdoughy, and it counts your sets and rings you for every stretch and fold, even with the phone locked on the counter. No more forgotten folds.
Download Sourdoughy free