The trick that fixed my sourdough hydration problems

I've been baking sourdough for like 2 years now and my loaves always came out flat and gummy. Last month I tried something dumb - I weighed my starter before feeding instead of just eyeballing it. Turns out I was adding way too much water because my starter was heavier than I thought. Dropped my hydration from 80% to 72% and now my crumb is light and airy. Has anyone else messed up their ratios just by not being careful with weights?

3 comments

3 Comments

michael8951mo ago

Nah, I actually prefer higher hydration for a more open crumb, 72% sounds dry to me lol.

adam_anderson61mo ago

Tbh @michael895 I'm with you on that, I'd rather wrestle with a sticky 80% dough and get those big bubbles than deal with a tight crumb. Honestly, the extra hydration makes the crust way better too, way more caramelized.

vals381mo ago

I was totally with Michael on the higher hydration thing for the longest time (I wanted those Instagram worthy open crumbs). But honestly, after dealing with three gummy loaves in a row that I had to toast just to eat, I tried dropping to 73% as a test and it was a game changer. I still get decent bubbles but my crumb is way more even and the bread actually slices without falling apart. That caramelized crust thing Adam mentioned is good but I'll take a loaf I can actually use for sandwiches over a photo any day.