Windowpane.
This is one of those small things that makes a big difference.
You take a small piece of dough and gently stretch it. If it stretches thin enough to let light through without tearing, you’ve got strength.
That’s your signal.
Your dough has developed enough gluten to hold gas, keep its shape, and actually turn into bread instead of spreading out on you.
If it tears right away, you’re not there yet. More time. More folds. Let the dough catch up.
Here’s the shift.
Stop asking “how long has it been?”Start asking “what is the dough showing me?”
That’s how you get consistent.
Drop a comment if you’ve ever had dough tear on you during shaping. That’s usually where this shows up.