July 7, 2018 - 8:39am
Is Flour absorption important in Hydration percentages?
I have tried a lot of recipes and experimented with different hydration percentages in making sourdough, (I've always used a mix of bread flour and whole wheat flour) but somehow I get really confusing results. Sometimes I make high hydration doughs that results to a very wet consistency. Sometimes I make the same hydration percentage with different ratio of flour with a great consistency but once baked, it results to having small holes and almost too dense.
Also, am I using the right way of measuring hydration levels?
Total g of flour / total g of water+starter
-with 100% hydration of starter.
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You need to take your Levain into account. Add the weight of the flour in your Levain with the total flour weight. Then add the weight of the water in the Levain with the total water (liquids). Divide the weight of the water by the weight is the flour to get the correct hydration.
In the case of 100% Levain; let’s say the Levain weighs 100 grams. You would add 50g flour to the total flour and 50g water to the liquids.
Let us know if you need further clarification.
Dan
ooooooh ok I forgot to take into account the flour in the levain. Thank you.
Flour absorption is one of the main things I need to make adjustments for...even using the "same" flour in the same formula...just using different lots of of that same flour. My pain au levain made with a recent new lot of flour needed at least 2.5% more water than the last lot.
So... one strategy is the hold back a bit of water from the final mix and see how the dough feels (a good skill to develop in itself...touch/tug on your dough all the time and get a sense of its characteristics as it develops and before/after making adjustments). Then add water and continue to mix to get it where you want it.
and holding some water back until absorbed and then add it something that took me a while to grasp...Well described in Trevor J. Wilson's , Vanessa Kimbell's book and Maurizio also recommends on his blog....
Each flour is different and a good way to learn what the 'water point' for each flour is...I learnt that the hard way with making soup! Kat
I'll try on my next loaf. Thank you.
You are kind of discussing two different things here. Hydration and consistency. No matter how your flour behaves, an 80% hydration will be just that - it is strictly the percentage of water to flour. Depending on the flour used and other things added to the bread that can absorb more of that water, the consistency of the dough can change.
I am confused.
What does it mean when on a bag of flour says Absorption: 63.0 ± 3.0 %
I am assuming it has to do with hydration but dont really know what this means.
Absorption: 63.0 ± 3.0 % means that 100 g of that flour (@14% moisture level) absorbs 60-66g of water to make a medium consistency ball of dough. Not stiff (dry) nor sticky soft (wet), but medium, "normal", "tacky but not sticky" to touch, good enough both for a sandwich loaf and for a hearth loaf. It is the optimal amount of water you can add to a dough before it becomes too sticky to process. (Please watch full expanation using the provided link).
A less technical explanation of flour absorption numbers is given below (source):
Flours are tested for absorption because different flours absorb different amounts of water and therefore make doughs of different consistencies. The absorption ability of a flour is usually between 55% and 65%. To determine the absorption factor, place a small quantity of flour (100 g/4 oz.) in a bowl. Add water gradually from a beaker containing a known amount of water. As the water is added, mix with a spoon until the dough reaches the desired consistency. You can knead the dough by hand for final mixing and determination of consistency. Weigh the unused water. Divide the weight of the water used by the weight of the flour used. The result is the absorption ability in percentage. For example:
Weight of flour used 100 g (4 oz.)
Weight of water used 60 g (2.7 oz.)
Therefore absorption = 6/10 or 60%
Prolonged storage in a dry place results in a natural moisture loss in flour and has a noticeable effect on the dough. For example, a sack of flour that originally weighed 40 kg (88 lb.) with a moisture content of 14% may be reduced to 39 kg (86 lb.) during storage. This means that 1 kg (2 lb.) of water is lost and must be made up when mixing. The moisture content of the wheat used to make the flour is also important from an economic standpoint.
Hard wheat flour absorbs more liquid than soft flour. Good hard wheat flour should feel somewhat granular when rubbed between the thumb and fingers. A soft, smooth feeling indicates a soft wheat flour or a blend of soft and hard wheat flour. Another indicator is that hard wheat flour retains its form when pressed in the hollow of the hand and falls apart readily when touched. Soft wheat flour tends to remain lumped together after pressure
Thanks Mariana
That's good information to know.
Its interesting to think that there is a whole industry popping up around hydration levels that are far beyond what the miller recommends for hydration levels.
I'm used to baking between 70-80 percent hydration and wanted to be sure absorption and hydration were the same thing.
There always seems to be a new factor to consider baking bread to get that consistent loaf.
Outwardly it seems easy but the more you get into it you really have to be part chemist to duplicate the same thing over and over again.
Cheers
Peter
I have what is, I think, a similar question:
I am using King Arthur flour mostly, and I find that with most Reinhart recipes, for example, I have to add a good deal of (extra) water before a dough comes together/looks/feels right to me.
I weigh all my ingredients, and I keep my flour in airtight bins, but I’m in Memphis, a notoriously humid climate.
Is this a normal state of things with KA flours?