Following shaping, the dough goes into a banneton, which will support it during the final prove. It really is essential to flour the banneton well before putting the dough in. When you come to turn the bread out ready to bake, you want it to plump straight out of the basket, gently and with no disturbance. If it peels slowly out, or sticks to the banneton in places, it may ruin the delicate network of gluten that has developed. So, correct shaping to create a taught surface, and flouring the banneton are both really important.
The dough then goes into the fridge for the final fermentation. It’s important to remember that at this stage one or two degrees difference in temperature can make a difference to the length of the fermentation. A domestic fridge can have warmer or cooler spots, so get to know how the position in the fridge might affect the dough. If I have got a dough that’s very lively, I might just bring down the fridge temperature slightly to enable it to have a long prove. But if it the dough is looking a little cook, I might bring the temperature of the fridge up, to maybe 7 or 8oC. Adjusting the temperature can help you control the timing of this final prove.
