Flour batch variation / hydration dropped by almost 10%
I just recently received a shipment of T65 Moulin D'Auguste which is my go to flour for baguettes. I'll usually breeze thought 30lbs in a couple of months and then restock. with each shipment there's usually a slight difference in the way the flour performs. This shipment however has thrown me for a bit of a loop. First thing I noticed was the usual 72% hydration was incredibly sticky - felt like 80+% and was near impossible to score. A few bakes later and I've found that 65-66% feels about 'normal'. It's a bit freaky since with other batches I've pushed to 75% and still been able to manage he dough, however with this new flour I am sure 75% would be ciabatta. Just thought it might be interesting to point put the degree of variation from this imported brand. never once have I seen anything near the same degree of fluxuation with a domestic mainstream brand before. Definitely keeps you on your toes. Anyone else dealt with this sort of challenge - ie, one brand / type with this much variation ?