After the preshaping step comes the bench rest.

This is exactly what it sounds like. We are resting the dough on the work bench. A passive step that is nevertheless important.

During the resting period gluten in the dough relaxes and makes our final shaping task easier. Also, during this time, the dough will keep fermenting. With that in mind the preshaping must be done properly to suit the needs of the dough.

The tighter the prehsape the longer the bench rest. The more fermented the dough the less time should be spent resting and thus a lighter preshaping should be done.

The dough should be covered while resting to prevent a hard crust from forming.