The day a customer taught me about bread hydration

I had this older guy at my pop-up stall last Saturday who watched me scoop dough for about five minutes. He finally says, "You're working that dough too dry for a sourdough, kid." I was using 70% hydration and he insisted I bump it to 78% right there on the spot. The crumb came out way more open and the crust cracked just right. Has anyone else had a random stranger give them advice that actually worked out better than their usual method?

2 comments

2 Comments

elizabethhayes6d ago

Wait, are you saying a random guy just watched you work and gave you that kind of specific advice? That's wild. I love when total strangers actually know their stuff and aren't just trying to be annoying. It's honestly kind of refreshing, especially in a setting like a pop-up where people usually just want to grab their food and go. Glad it turned out good for you, those little surprises from people can be the best lessons.

brian_rivera596d ago

That happens more often than you'd think, actually. The guy might have been a home baker for 30 years who just knows his numbers by instinct. One small thing though - 78% hydration is really wet for a sourdough, not just a little bump from 70%. You went from a stiff dough to one that's practically batterlike, which takes a lot more handling finesse. Glad it worked out for you, but most bakers would need to adjust their folding and bulk fermentation times to make that jump work right.