Stopped guessing on dough hydration after 8 years

I used to just add flour and water until the dough felt right, but last month I actually weighed everything for a batch of sourdough. Ended up at 72% hydration and the crumb was way more open and consistent than anything I'd made before. Anybody else finally cave and buy a digital scale?

2 comments

2 Comments

robertsmith5d ago

Doesn't it kind of take the fun out of it though? I've been making bread for a long time and I still just go by feel. You get a sense for when the dough is right after a while. Weighing everything feels like you're baking for a chemistry test instead of making food. My crumb might not be as perfect as yours but it's good enough and I don't have to clean a scale. Sometimes the inconsistent loaves are the interesting ones anyway.

the_jade5d ago

Wait, @robertsmith, you do realize that weighing actually means less cleaning, right? A scale bowl and one spoon is way less mess than a floured counter and flour everywhere guesswork.