Dough looseness

Tony M

Hello all. I'm a brand new member to this blog. I'm a relatively new, enthusiastic baker. I have a question. In baking out of Hammelman's Bread book, I've seen several recipes that call for a loose dough. I have no idea what that means. Can anyone enlighten me?

Tony

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Optionparty's picture
Optionparty 2010 January 11

Supple, like a bag of butter.
Limp, relaxed, as in "high hydration" dough.
You will learn with experience, and that's a great book.

Carl
 

TedinOz 2010 January 11

[quote=Tony M]

Hello all. I'm a brand new member to this blog. I'm a relatively new, enthusiastic baker. I have a question. In baking out of Hammelman's Bread book, I've seen several recipes that call for a loose dough. I have no idea what that means. Can anyone enlighten me?

Tony

[/quote]

Hi Tony...

I thought I would add my two cents worth to your query.

A 'loose' dough or 'slack' dough describes the condition as a result of a higher liquid content in relation to the flour weight. If you read through this site you will find numerous references to Hydration levels. Some bread styles require different hydration levels (always expressed as a % of flour weight) to produce the desired result in the loaf. For me leavened breads (rather than yeasted) work better with higher levels, meaning the doughs will be loose or slack, particularly in the beginning following first mixing. In many cases it will come down to personal preferences and what works best for you, so experimentation and documentation of what you do will help. Have a read through here and compare hydration levels for different styles. It is really an excellent site with lots of willing helpers. I am sure others will contribute as well.

All the best...Ted

 

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