I’ve always wondered if letting loaves rise post-shaping made a difference. And the answer is yes! A pretty big difference.

The loaf on top was shaped, then chucked in the oven in about five minutes. The loaf on the bottom was shaped, sat for half an hour, then baked. Huge difference in appearance. Insides were about the same though. (Though these rye bricks don’t rise much anyway)

Sidenote: This post about “Doodies” is hilarious. Cooking as a sport ftw!