Stumbled on a batch of dough that hit exactly 78% hydration by accident

Tbh I was just messing around with a new flour I grabbed from the bulk bin at the co-op. I usually do 70% but I added too much water and ended up at 78% exactly. The crumb was way more open than anything I've done before, like actual bakery level holes. Took me three more tries to repeat it on purpose. Anybody else accidentally find a hydration level that just worked?

3 comments

3 Comments

roberts.leo16d ago

Oh man, that's such a great feeling when you stumble into something perfect like that! I've had that happen where I was just eyeballing things and ended up with a dough that handled like a dream and the crumb was gorgeous. It's frustrating though when you can't remember exactly what you did and have to reverse engineer it. I'm glad you got it dialed in after a few tries. Accidents like that are honestly some of the best learning moments in baking.

jamesf2916d ago

You ever chase a ghost like that and end up with a brick instead?

shane_park9216d ago

Yeah "eyeballing things" is pretty much how I bake every time. I never measure anything exactly, just go by feel. @roberts.leo you're right that those happy accidents teach you more than following a recipe. The problem is when you nail it once and then spend weeks trying to get back to that same spot. Half the time I think it's just luck and humidity anyway.