Which term describes shaping dough into a loaf or press?

• A. kneading the dough
• B. molding the dough
• C. proofing the dough
• D. rolling the dough

Answer: (B)

Shaping dough into a loaf or press is molding. After mixing, dough is often kneaded to develop gluten and structure, but the actual step of giving it its final form—whether it goes into a loaf pan or a pressed shape—is molding. This is the stage where you push, tuck, and tighten the dough to create the desired silhouette and surface tension so the loaf bakes with even crumb and a nice crust. Rolling would flatten the dough into sheets or rounds, which isn’t used for loaves. Proofing refers to the dough's rise before baking, and kneading is the initial working of the dough to develop structure, not the shaping itself.