The Fresh Loaf

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Help on Hamelman

PY's picture
PY

Help on Hamelman

just got hamelman's book and got a bit lost on his formulas requiring a "mature culture (liquid)". By liquid how much percentage hydration does that mean? Couldn't find any reference to the percentage save at page 148 where he made an assumption of 125% hydration as an example. Same goes for his mature culture (stiff) at what hydration?

Also what is his intention in differing between mature culture and mature sourdough culture? Are they not the same?

thanks for the help in advance!

Our Crumb's picture
Our Crumb

Liquid starters are conventionally 100% hydration (equal water and flour weights), although Hamelman does call for 125% hydration in some BREAD formulae.  100% is more common. 

Stiff starters are usually 60% hydration although some bakers go down as far as 50%.  60% is easier to deal with (i.e., to disperse when making up a dough from it).

I can't think of any difference between "mature culture" and "mature sourdough culture".  The former is just a more generic version of the latter.  In both cases, the culture is in what microbiologists call "stationary phase" -- topped out in its growth cycle.  Current fashion is to use cultures that are at a stage just before "stationary" -- that is, "young" cultures with still a bit of growth potential.  Presumably they hit the ground running when you make up a dough, and haven't begun to generate the acids that accumulate later into stationary phase..

Hope that helps.

Tom

PY's picture
PY

Great...thanks for the info

hreik's picture
hreik

125%. See pp 427-431.  It's a great book. Could have used a bit of reorganizing, so that you would know automatically to look at those pages for the information you want.  It's all there.  Good luck

 

hester

PY's picture
PY

Thanks Hester, found it! Agree with you that it was kinda strange to put such an important topic at the very end! Going to make my first bake from the book tomorrow