The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

What kind of flour makes a sticky dough?

Roost 12's picture
Roost 12

What kind of flour makes a sticky dough?

Which flour property results in a sticky dough? Is it high protein content? I tried searching the forums but am embarrassed to say I can't find a definite answer. Maybe it's so sticky because it's not an old flour? Those flours in supermarkets are usually months old and have ridiculous expiration dates (1+ years at room temperature!). But they are not sticky.

 

I bought unbleached organic white wheat flour from a local farmer and the dough from this flour is always sticky and so slack. Even if I just combine water and flour (no starter) at lowest possible hydration the dough is still soft. Lowest possible hydration means "kneading until you can't knead in any more flour". If I leave such dough (only flour & water at lowest hydration) for couple of hours it gets so sticky it's impossible to get it rolled or stretched out. Well, you can roll it out but then you can't pick it up because it sticks. You would need to flour the surface at least 2mm thick (literally) to be able to get it off without ruining the form. Even if you got it off successfully the dough is like a living entity so bread is all you can do. Making something like this is impossible because it can't hold the form.

I get that this flour may not exactly be pastry material but it's so sticky I am always dreading dividing (bread) dough when I want to make more loaves. :S

So why is the mentioned flour sticky?

amberartisan's picture
amberartisan

All of these 3 factors can make a sticky dough. In your case, the flour is probably really low protein. Local flours from small farmers tend to be especially prone to this problem. I would advise either trying lower hydrations or a baguette dough ie, and preshaping tightly and maybe twice. 2 preshapes can really help with slack dough. OH: And use water on your hands whenever you handle the dough directy. Use a bench knife as much as possible in leiu of your hands. Soft wheat flour is what's giving you sticky dough.

It is sticky because it has less gluten and thus absorbs less water than you put in.

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

Take some small desert bowls.  put 50g of flour in each one.  Then add different amounts of water to get various hydrations...  Start with 20g of water in one bowl, 22.5g in the next, 25g (50%), 27.5g, 30g   Stir each and write down observations.  Cover and check again after one hour.

Repeat the above adding 1g salt before mixing (or take the total 250g flour and add 5g salt blend well, divide equally into 5 bowls.)    write down  observations, cover again and check after one hour.   Are both samples reacting the same?  

Meanwhile....  here is a table of variables.

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/25384/dough-strength-table

rozeboosje's picture
rozeboosje

I was having a "high hydration nightmare" myself. Am looking for a) a different flour that tastes good (trying to source a French flour at the moment) and b) the right hydration levels for the flour that I DO use. Like mini oven says, experiment for yourself until you get to know your flour. It takes a while, though - I'm still working on mine, but improving steadily.