HELP, mixing doughs to shaggy mass by hand
I am hoping there are tricks that will make hand mixing to a shaggy mass more efficient. When I watch Trevor mix his dough it looks like it comes together much more efficiently than mine. As with everything he does, he is so gentle. (I really like that)
My practice is to mix starter and water in a bowl and flour and salt in another. Then pour the wet into the dry and slowly mix using a Danish Dough Wisk. The problem is! I never seem to be able to fully incorporate all of the flour without working (squeezing) the dough between my fingers. NOTE - the dough in question is 71% hydration using all white flour.
I am at this very stage as I write this. I mixed as well as I “gently” could. I am trying a 20 minute rest before continuing my “gentle” process.
Any tips, how I can get more efficient at this stage?
Thanks,
Dan
UPDATE - as stated above the dough was rested for 20 minutes. It was much easier to incorporate the last bits of dry flour, but there remained small clumps of flour that was not completely hydrated. I was able to pinch and squeeze the dough to incorporate the whole, but it could have been smoother.
SOLVED - Mixing without the salt is very helpful. But here is something that seems to work better than anything else I have tried. I sift the flour. The ingredients appear to incorporate great after doing so. Lumps of flour are now a thing of the past :)
I realize this is a small seemingly insignificant issue. But the more I bake the more the insignificant becomes significant ;-)