PSA: the bakery owner down the street told me pre-shaping is a waste of time and I can't stop thinking about it

Kai Schmidt · 2026-10-05T19:50:04.194321+00:00

I was picking up a loaf at a shop in Portland last week and the owner, who has been baking for 22 years, watched me talk about my process and flat out said pre-shaping was pointless for anything under 80% hydration. She said her crew skips it on 15 dozen rolls a day and their crumb is fine. I tried it on a batch of 12 sourdough rolls on Sunday and honestly the final shape came out sloppy and lopsided, so now I don't know if it is me or her method. Any of you actually skip the pre-shape and still get tight rounds?

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PSA: the bakery owner down the street told me pre-shaping is a waste of time and I can't stop thinking about it | Bakers - The Community Guide