Baking Bread Question

[rugger]

Who's in the know about baking bread? Not with a machine.  I have this stand-by Dutch Oven recipe that I love, but the last few times I"ve made it, the dough has been super goopy. Usually it comes together really well into a nice workable ball, but lately it hasn't   It still comes out fine and tasty, but I'm wondering if the increased room temperature (spring vs winter) is affecting it.  Thoughts?  Should I change anything or just deal with the goopiness?

 

[MapleMe]

Apr 16, 2017 15:13:17 GMT -5 rugger said:

Who's in the know about baking bread? Not with a machine.  I have this stand-by Dutch Oven recipe that I love, but the last few times I"ve made it, the dough has been super goopy. Usually it comes together really well into a nice workable ball, but lately it hasn't   It still comes out fine and tasty, but I'm wondering if the increased room temperature (spring vs winter) is affecting it.  Thoughts?  Should I change anything or just deal with the goopiness?

 

Are you using the same batch of flour? Lots can change between batches. Professional bread bakeries track all the stats on a bag of flour and change their recipe accordingly for each batch. Increased humidity in the air can also affect the humidity of the flour and thus add more moisture. If you want less moisture in the dough, add less water (many bread recipes have a window of water amount for this reason), but I would go by the finished product. If you like it, don't mess with it. If it's too dense, change it.

[rugger]

MapleMe no, it's the same brand/type (Whole Foods 365 organic AP), but I doubt it's the same batch as it's a new bag of flour. In fact, the last two times have come from two diff bags.
Ok, so less moisture, maybe. It calls for 1 1/4 C water, so maybe I'll try just 1 cup next time

[brandiewine11]

I also recommend measuring flour by weight if you don't already. I find the results are much more consistent. But I do have to adjust the amount of water slightly in many doughs depending on the season.

[rugger]

Apr 16, 2017 18:37:17 GMT -5 brandiewine11 said:

I also recommend measuring flour by weight if you don't already. I find the results are much more consistent. But I do have to adjust the amount of water slightly in many doughs depending on the season.

I haven't been, but I could start. I'll try that next time and if still gak-like, I'll reduce water a bit

[freezorburn]

A few years ago I got into a pretty good rhythm using the Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day method -- and it uses a very wet mix. Basically when you portion off and shape your loaf, they say to dust enough flour on so that it can be handled. So, that might be a way to correct your dough's consistency if it's coming out too wet. I've also used the cast iron Dutch oven to bake it and the crust comes out perfect.

[rugger]

Apr 16, 2017 23:06:06 GMT -5 freezorburn said:

A few years ago I got into a pretty good rhythm using the Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day method -- and it uses a very wet mix. Basically when you portion off and shape your loaf, they say to dust enough flour on so that it can be handled. So, that might be a way to correct your dough's consistency if it's coming out too wet. I've also used the cast iron Dutch oven to bake it and the crust comes out perfect.

That's kinda what I did yesterday. And high-five for the cast iron Dutch oven! I've got two - one oval shaped with a ceramic coating, and one Lodge brand that's just the cast iron. I do 30 min with the lid on, then 10 with the lid off. Perfectly crispy crust and soft on the inside