Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of preparing a leavened bread dough, said method comprising the following sequence of processing steps: combining flour, water, yeast and/or leavening agent, and optionally one or more additional bakery ingredients to produce a dough-type mix; mixing and working the dough-type mix in a mixer to produce an underdeveloped dough with a density of 0.9-1.5 g/ml, the total energy input from the mixer into the underdeveloped dough during said mixing and working of the dough-type mix being at least 1 W.h/kg; further working a batch of at least 15 kg of the underdeveloped dough by subjecting it to deformation shear, thereby producing a developed dough; dividing the developed dough into two or more developed dough pieces having an individual mass of 30-3000 g; and leavening the developed dough pieces to yield leavened dough pieces having a specific volume of at least 2.0 ml/g; wherein the aforementioned sequence of processing steps is completed within 3 hours.