Does the seam go on the top or the bottom?

The seam should always be on the bottom of the bread when it goes into the oven. If the dough is to proof upside down like when using a banneton, the seam will be facing upwards.

How long to leave between preshaping and shaping bread dough?

Anywhere between 10 – 30 minutes. The time is determined by the dough temperature and the amount of levain activity. Warmer, more active doughs require a shorter bench rest than slow-fermented bread.

Do I have to bench rest bread rolls?

When making bread rolls, don’t preshape or bench rest. The dough should be divided into pieces and shaped straight away. Smaller pieces of dough have less food for the yeast so must be shaped quickly to prevent the gas from escaping.

Do I have to bench rest ciabatta?

The open, airy crumb of ciabatta should be preserved so you should not preshape ciabatta. After shaping and leaving in a couche for 10 minutes ciabatta may contract so you may wish to stretch them again and return to the couche.