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Technique & Skill

Coil Folds

Beginner

A gentle, effective method for building dough strength during bulk.

Overview

Coil folds are the gentlest way to build strength in your dough during bulk fermentation. You lift from the center, let the sides fold under by gravity, rotate, and repeat. No stretching. No tearing. No deflating the gas you've worked to build. That's the beauty of it. Coil folds work especially well for high-hydration doughs that are too slack for traditional stretch and folds. They develop gluten without being aggressive. Most bakers do three to four sets during bulk, spaced 30 to 45 minutes apart. But the number isn't fixed — it depends on the dough. A strong flour might need two sets. A wet, extensible dough might need five. This page shows you the technique, the timing, and how to read when your dough has had enough. Once you feel the difference between a slack dough and one with real structure, coil folds become second nature.

Watch

22 items

Coil Folds vs Stretch and Folds -- When to Use Each

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First Coil Fold

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🎥 Why Marbled Bread Works: The Science Behind the Swirl

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The Science and Art of Marbled Bread: Lamination, Natural Color, and the Honest Swirl

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15 Bakers. 532 Comments. Zero Flops. | Valentine's Zebra Bread Bake-Along Highlights

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Recipes

6 items

Henry's Foolproof Sourdough Loaf(opens in a new tab)

Country Sourdough with Levain(opens in a new tab)

Ligurian-Style Focaccia(opens in a new tab)

Cranberry Walnut Bread(opens in a new tab)

Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough(opens in a new tab)

Classic French Bread Baguette | Baking Great Bread at Home(opens in a new tab)

Read

3 items

Why Wet Dough Terrifies Beginners (And Why It Shouldn't)(opens in a new tab)

Baking Great Bread Blog

Bulk Fermentation vs. Cold Retard: What Each Phase Actually Does(opens in a new tab)

Baking Great Bread Blog

🍞 Marbled Blueberry, Cinnamon, and Honey Sourdough(opens in a new tab)

Baking Great Bread Blog

Learn

6 items

The Coil Fold Strength Without Deflating The Dough(opens in a new tab)

Adding Inclusions: Folding In Cheese During Bulk(opens in a new tab)

The Coil Fold: Handling High Hydration Dough(opens in a new tab)

Fermentolyse, Salt Addition, and the Rubaud Method(opens in a new tab)

Countertop Coil Fold: Enriched Dough | Panettone(opens in a new tab)

Adding Inclusions After the First Coil Fold(opens in a new tab)

Glossary

9 items

Coil Fold(opens in a new tab)

Coil Folds(opens in a new tab)

Fold(opens in a new tab)

Lamination(opens in a new tab)

Shaggy Mass(opens in a new tab)

Slap and Fold(opens in a new tab)

Stretch and Fold(opens in a new tab)

Stretch and Folds(opens in a new tab)

Windowpane Test(opens in a new tab)

Related Topics

Keep going

Bulk Fermentation

The critical rise that builds structure, flavor, and strength in your dough.

Shaping Technique

Build tension, structure, and confidence in every shape you make.

Reading Dough

Learn to see, feel, and interpret what your dough is telling you.

Henry's Apps for This Topic

Free tools built to take what you're learning here and put it to work in your kitchen.

Fermentation Compass

Henry's free app for nailing the bulk window

Stop guessing. Dial in fermentation by temperature, hydration, and starter activity — and read your dough with confidence.

Open Fermentation Compass

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