stand mixer question

You're not doing anything wrong. If the dough slumps down around the bottom of the bowl like that, it means it can take some more flour. The exception to this would be if you're making one of those really wet Italian style bread doughs, in which case it's better not to add any more flour, so you don't change the texture of the finished product. Flour amounts in breadmaking are always approximate, and can vary widely. Good luck in your bread endeavors.

-Scott

I would agree with this. I don't bother to measure the flour unless I have a specific requirement. I just estimate the flour and add the other ingredients. If it takes more flour, then I add it. To be specific, I use instant yeast, so I put all the dry ingredients in the bowl and slowly add water. I stop when the dough looks right. If it slumps after from kneading, I add more flour. It is all about the look and feel. Don't pay too much attention to the amounts stated in the recipe. This is one case where strict adherence to the formula isn't necessary. I presume that your bread is satisfactory since you haven't mentioned any concerns with the product.

Couple of observations.

1. What you're seeing is a normal process. The dough picks up the water, sort of on the surface, and looks like it's finished -- the dough clears the side of the bowl and forms a nice dough. Then the flour gets wetted through and the thing slumps a bit. Normal.

1. Be careful of what you or the recipe author use as equivalents. One of the nasty little secrets of bread, and most other, cookbooks is that a lot of the recipes aren't tested to perform as written. The other little secret is that a cup ain't a cup. If you measure the flour, you should also measure the water and do some calculation of baker's percentages.

If you are checking baker's percentages, use these as guidelines. 60% is classic French bread. 65% is a tacky bread. 70% is pretty wet. 75% will flow. 80% is a bear to work, and will require special handling. Obviously, others have different guidelines and different doughs and local conditions will lead to different conclusions, but if you start here, you at least have an idea of what's going on.

So, how much flour and water does the recipe call for?

Barry

You are bound to get contradictory advice but when making bread dough, it is always better to have a more moist rather than too stodgy a dough. If you are weighing your ingredients by the gram, a standard bread dough should have about 60g water for every 100g of flour. If you are baking the loaves in tins, you could increase that to 65g of water. Ciabbata doughs are really sloppy at over 70g of water to 100g flour. Yes, I know the weather etc. will sometimes make a difference but I don't think that should bother you too much. Another trick is to just combine the flour and water and then let it stand for about 20 minutes so that the flour can absorb the water. Then proceed with the kneading, adding a bit of extra flour if you think it necessary.

HTH Graham

Hi Graham,

Of course, I respect your experience, but mine is certainly different...

I regularly bake hearth loaves that are 72%. Each of the proportions you mention are far lower in hydration than I would use for the purposes you describe.

All the best,

I agree and I use higher percentages. However, to a novice breadbaker, it is better to start on the "safe" side, as long as it's not too "safe":-) Also, bear in mind that the poster is unable to knead the dough by hand.

Best wishes Graham

The question occurs in regard to several recipes and boils down to should I or should I not be concerned with the slump and add more flour. Sounds like you're saying I should add flour 'till the ball holds up for a couple of minutes of kneading. By percentages do you mean 60% water by weight? I'm not familiar with the term "baker's percentages".

Howdy,

"Baker's percentage is the proportion (by weight) of wet to dry ingredients. It usually ignores the tiny contribution of things like salt.

So, if a bread has, say, 700g of water and 1000g of flour with some yeast and salt, it would be described as 70% hydration.

As you see, the system is great for scaling.

HTH,

Hi Dee,

Yup...

I weigh everything, and it is extremely convenient. I put a large container on the scale, dump in the appropriate weight of flour, then salt, etc. I then pour in the appropriate of water, and finally dump all that into the mixing bowl of my mixer...

HTH,

Thanks, Do you have a conversion for weight of water. I always see 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, 2/3 cup, 1 cup+ 2 teaspoons, etc.

Do you use ounces or grams for your conversions for your weight of water?

Dee

Water weighs the same as the volume indicates.

So, if you fill a cup with water (or anything that pours like water),=20 that holds 8 ounces of volume, the weight will be 8 ounces.

I do use metrics. The metric system is much easier for bakers % conversio= ns. Don't know what Kenneth does.

--=20 Sincerly,

C=3D=A6-)=A7 H. W. Hans Kuntze, CMC, S.g.K. (_o_)

Water weighs the same as the volume indicates.

So, if you fill a cup with water (or anything that pours like water), that holds 8 ounces of volume, the weight will be 8 ounces.

I do use metrics. The metric system is much easier for bakers % conversions. Don't know what Kenneth does.

SNIP

Cup sets are now often sold in metric format. Mine are as follows:

Huh...?

Water, yes. Other liquids, maybe. Oil floats on water because it is lighter.

HTH,

Out of curiosity, I just checked my measuring cups (decent quality, stainless steel) by weighing the water (several times). The results are:

It pays to get some good scales and weigh! Graham

That's why it says water, or anything that pours like water, Kenneth.

Oil _*does not*_ pour like water. Nor does heavy cream. But milk does,=20 or juice, etc.

However, in these small quantities, as are common in household baking,=20 it won't make an Iota of difference, really.

--=20 Sincerly,

C=3D=A6-)=A7 H. W. Hans Kuntze, CMC, S.g.K. (_o_)

Hi Hans,

Now I'm with you...

I had misinterpreted your earlier comment to mean anything "liquid."

All the best,