Roll the dough back and forth to even it out. Now I can't wait to give it a go. For straight sided batards and baguettes, the long side should be straight as possible (cylindrical). The effect of scoring on loaf shape. He produces batards which he will call baguettes if pushed. The Batard Bread Shape. This requires a honed blade and confident technique. Gérard suggests that the beginner identify and count his or her movements when shaping batards and then analyze them one by one in order to eliminate those which aren’t truly necessary. The actual scoring is important for oven spring for example. With an oval form whose length can be anywhere between that of a baguette (60-70 cm) and a boulot (20-25 cm) [ref: The Taste of Bread, p 74], the batard along with the boule are perhaps the two most commonly used shapes for free-form breads. 3. Remember, it should be smaller than a foot, so don’t stretch the dough beyond that length. When scoring, you need to cut deep enough to allow the bread to expand—but not so deep that it damages the shape of the loaf. First, you will want to mold it into a slightly oblong shape. ... for seeing the angle at which you slashed the batards. Speed is critical. I don't have a problem with my boules, but I could never get the ear/grigne that you do. 1. It should be smaller than one foot. If you’re on Instagram you should check me out — I have a bunch of short video clips of various things like shaping, scoring, etc. For fat batards the pre-round should be slightly rounded on the long side (oval shaped). Hesitation can cause tears in the bread. No Parisian would call them that. Also, I’ll shape more gently and not stitch the dough on the bench or in the proofing basket. Directions for Shaping the Batard Bread Dough. As many times as I 've heard 20-30 degrees, I was holding the blade at a much higher angle. Finally, after 50 minutes (20 with steam, 30 without) the loaves are baked and the effect of scoring and shaping is evident. I certainly didn't mean to suggest that you should completely degas the dough when shaping a batard because, you are right, you'll end up with a very even, dull crumb. Shaping the dough can be slightly tricky. There is some crust tearing on the lower right side of the left batard, and on close inspection a number of minor tears in the crust of the left loaf. I'm in agreement with you that uneven holes are good in artisan bread and that you typically shouldn't degas the dough much when shaping. Turn the dough over and fold the sides of the dough inward, creating a trench in the middle. To be able to make proper scoring on sourdough breads you need firstly need to develop the gluten in your dough properly, you need to ferment your dough for the right amount of time and you also need to shape your bread properly. Make sure the ends of the dough are evenly rounded. 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