The Fresh Loaf

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Creating New Formulas - Rules of Thumb

hydestone's picture
hydestone

Creating New Formulas - Rules of Thumb

Hi All:

I was going to track back through and calculate ratios from some of my favorite formulas to try and establish some rules of thumb for creating new formulas...but figured many of you have probably already done so, so I figured I’d ask you to share!

For instance, if I want to add some oats, flax, barley, millet, and dates to a recipe - how much do I reduce the flour?  Or do I just add more water. 

Any advice or tips are appreciated!

Thanks folks.

cranbo's picture
cranbo

Personally, I usually just add a little more water. I usually eyeball those kinds of additions these days. 

One alternative is to soak your ingredient in water for a predefined time (a few hours or overnight). You can then wring out the water if you want. These items then can be considered fully hydrated and they won't detract from the hydration of your finished dough. 

You can also try cooking the items in hot water (or microwaving them with water) to rehydrate them. In some cases (as with oats) this will create more starches/gels that will change the flavor and texture of your finished loaf.