The Hydration Spiral
As you get more into making sourdough you’ll see people talking about hydration a lot. A lot. It’s something of a side-obsession in the world of sourdough.
Basically, hydration is water to flour percentage. Simply put, 500g of flour(s) to 250g of water is 50% hydration. You can also factor in the hydration of your starter, how much starter, and all kinds of other minutiae, and I really don’t care.
People obsess over hydration. “My dough is 82% hydration,” etc.
I’ll admit: I was guilty of it, too. I made great bread but then started to obsess over hydration and going higher and higher to get bigger holes. 75%. 80%. And then there were lots of failures. A 75% hydration that I didn’t do enough stretch-and-folds at the right time to develop the gluten and ended up baking a Frisbee.
And then…it occurred to me: my bread was just fine at 60-66% hydration. My friends and family loved it. It turned out great 95% of the time unless I did something weird with inclusions that — you guessed it — upped the hydration.
I consistently make an excellent tasting, good crust, 65% hydration dough and can do it in my sleep almost.
If you want to chase higher hydrations, be my guest. But I’m over it. Find what makes you happy.
My 65% Hydration Loaves
Equipment
- 1 Large Bowl
- 2 6-8" round bannetons
- 2 3-quart Dutch ovens
Ingredients
- 60 grams ripe, fed, active starter
- 400 grams good water, warm
- 600 grams bread flour or combination (I do maybe 40g of whole wheat)
- 10 grams sea salt
- olive oil
Instructions
- Add the starter to your bowl and add the water. Stir well.
- Add the flour and then the salt on top of the flour.
- Mix for 60 seconds. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let sit for 30 minutes.
- Mix thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Let sit for 6-10 hours, depending on the strength of your starter, the temperature in your kitchen, the phase of the moon, and your moral fortitude. When it's doubled and a finger-press pops back slowly, you're good.
- (Note: if you want to do stretches and folds every 30 minutes for the first two hours, be my guest. It helps, but I don't think it's required to produce a good loaf of bread. I often do all of the above right before going to bed and wake up to a happy bowl of dough.)
- When ready, divide the dough in half, stretch and fold, and form into a boule. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Flip over, re-form, and dust with white rice flour. Also dust your banneton with white rice flour. Flips the boules into the bannetons and pinch the bottoms to seal well.
- Put the boules into the prepared bannetons and cover with plastic wrap or shower caps.
- Let sit for 10-30 minutes, depending on the temperature of your kitchen. You should see some rise.
- Place in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours.
- Put your Dutch ovens in the oven and heat oven to 450℉/425℉-Convection.
- Once up to temp, let sit another 10-15 minutes.
- Cut a sheet-pan-sized parchment paper in half. Remove the boules from the refrigerator, turn out onto the parchment pieces, and score as you see fit.
- Remove the Dutch ovens from the oven, remove the lids, put the boules into the Dutch ovens. Add an ice-cube or two to each between the parchment and the side of the Dutch oven. Put the lids on and return to the oven.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the lids, spray with water, and bake another 15-20 more.
- Turn the oven off.
- Remove the Dutch ovens from the oven, remove the boules from the Dutch ovens and return them to the oven on the rack. Prop the door open a bit with a wooden spoon.
- In 60-90 minutes, enjoy.