STEP 6 — Final Shape (the "Package Fold")

STEP 6 — Final Shape (the "Package Fold")

1. Lightly flour the top of the dough and the surface next to it.
2. Use the bench scraper to flip the boule over. The smooth side is now on the bottom; the underside is up.
3. Lightly flour your hands. Now make the package:
   • Bottom edge → fold up to the middle of the dough.
   • Right side → fold to the middle.
   • Left side → fold to the middle, slightly overlapping the right.
   • Top edge → stretch it gently, then fold it all the way down across the package, like sealing an envelope.
4. Lightly flour the bottom of the package, then flip it with the bench scraper so the seam side is now down.
5. Brush away flour from the work surface immediately around the dough — you want bare counter here so the dough grips slightly.
6. Cup your hands around the far side of the dough, reach over the top, and drag the dough toward you in short pulls. This re-tightens the skin and seals the seam underneath. Rotate and repeat 3–4 times until the boule is taut and the bottom seam is closed.
7. If you see large air bubbles popping up on the surface, gently tap them — this redistributes them and produces the classic spotted-crumb look.
8. Let the boule rest a minute or two to seal.