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Hydration Calculation Help

fotomat1's picture
fotomat1

Hydration Calculation Help

What would the hydration % be with this formula?? Thanks

starter

 

 

Starter

93g

 

Freshly milled  wheat flour

186g

 

Water

120g

 

 

 

 

Final dough

 

 

Whole wheat starter

399g

 

Freshly milled organic wheat flour

1899g

 

Water

1709g

 

Salt

44g

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

of starter?

fotomat1's picture
fotomat1

so 50% stiff starter

AbeNW11's picture
AbeNW11 (not verified)

in 93g starter would make it 100% hydration

 

AbeNW11's picture
AbeNW11 (not verified)

then total water = 1875.5g

Total flour = 2530.5g

1875.5 / 2530.5 = 0.7412

0.7412 x 100 = 74.12% hydration

 

If your starter is 100% hydration

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

1876 water divided by 2131 flour = 88% hydration

AbeNW11's picture
AbeNW11 (not verified)

I made a mistake. Starter was quoted twice!

Ford's picture
Ford

Add up all the weight of water (including that in the starter, milk, etc) and divide it by the total weight of flour (including that in the starter, etc) then multiply the quotient by 100.  That is the percentage hydration of the dough.

I am assuming that your starter is 100% hydration, i.e. 46.5 g water and 46.5 g flour.

(46.5 +120 +1709) x 100 / (46.5 + 186 + 1899) = 1875.5 x 100 / 2121.5 = 88.4044 %.  I would round it off to 88%

Ford

AbeNW11's picture
AbeNW11 (not verified)

88% hydration like dabrownman said.

Didn't read the recipe properly. Re-did my calculations.

fotomat1's picture
fotomat1

now I know I am not crazy. Had this recipe tucked away and do not know it origin. Didn't pay much attention while mixing but loose and sticky during stretch and folds. It remained very loose prior to its overnight cold ferment which did stiffen it a bit. It called for a preshape 30 minute rest then shape (batard) and  a 90 minute proof then into the oven. It spread like wildfire in the oven which certainly prohibited any good rise...so it ended up more like a full grain cibatta. Any suggestions??

AbeNW11's picture
AbeNW11 (not verified)

Without developing the gluten really well and not baking with support it'll struggle with rising. If you were to try it again then perhaps a few more stretch and folds and then bake in a Dutch Oven. Can't do much with it now. Enjoy your ciabatta. Just have it as a flatbread now. Perhaps turn it into a pizza of sorts.

AlanG's picture
AlanG

I was just glancing through Hamelman to see if there are any recipes that high and from a quick read no.  Some go as high as 78% but those are ones with whole grains that absorb a lot of the extra moisture.  His sourdough recipe is 65% which is the one that I use (but it's only 10% rye with the remainder AP flour).  Of course the quoted recipe above is all whole wheat which will absorb more water but it strikes me that this is still a bit too high.  Maybe try dropping it down to 75% and if the dough is too thick add a little water back during the initial mixing.

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

fresh milled WW bread if you pan it up and watch it closely so it doesn't over proof.   Fresh milled WW flour are very thirsty.  Some panned 100% WW breads can be 100% hydration. I have a 50% sprouted whole multi-grain that is also 50% whole wheat. all fresh milled, to bake on Friday and it is only 82.5% hydration because the sprouted multi-grains aren't as nearly as thirsty as non sprouted WW.

The thing to remember about these kinds of breads is to do a longer autolyse with the dough flour and water only - 2 hours should work at this hydration.  Not only will it break down more starch  into the sugars the wee beasties can eat but it will also give you a 2 hour head start on gluten development too - both pluses for wholegrain high hydration breads.  If you get the gluten developed well enough 88% hydration isn't too much if you pan it.

I'm pretty sure Mini Oven was the one who told me that if it is over 80% hydration you really need to pan it up to keep it from spreading too much before it springs - or call it ciabatta - one or the other

Happy baking ! .. 

fotomat1's picture
fotomat1

I actually did find the origin of the formula

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/33735/home-bread-fighting-gravity

Now I am curious as to the question if anyone other than the author had luck with this...no pan. Maybe water is thicker in Australia...don't know.

I did a re-bake and tightened up the hydration to 78% with fairly good results but perhaps another 5% drop would prove beneficial.

 

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

and being able to make one of his breads will take, his special flour that he mills from Australian grain and then sifts it a certain way, patience, much baking skill and some sheer dumb luck:-)

Don't give up the bread just takes a couple, three tries.

AlanG's picture
AlanG

I was reading the recent Cook's Illustrated that arrived last week and there was a two page article on whole wheat pancakes (100%).  I normally make 33% WW pancakes on Sundays.  Anyway, the article states that the presence of bran and wheat germ both which absorb water "...don't contribute to gluten making and the bits of bran are sharp and can slice across any gluten strands that do form, shortening them and weakening the network."  This could also be contributory to the loss of structure.  Disclaimer:  I've only baked 50% WW loaves and do so in loaf tins so I've not had any experience with free standing loaves.

fotomat1's picture
fotomat1

I did read that myself and the thought pass through my mind. Some people actually sift out the sharps but this recipe used unsifted home ground winter white...befuddled as usual.

Joyofgluten's picture
Joyofgluten

Here is a fine little helper :http://www.calcmasa.com

fotomat1's picture
fotomat1

That is absolutely awesome....just when I thought I found everything bread on the Internet.