The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Do US, UK and Australian flours absorb water differently?

SourSue's picture
SourSue

Do US, UK and Australian flours absorb water differently?

Hi Everyone, I am new. Nice to find kindred spirits!

I have been following recipes and instructions for sourdough from this site very carefully but I am stuck with glue balls. Boo Hoo. I was wondering if flours from different countries may be affecting hydration. My starter is a robust and very busy bubbler but my doughs are very very wet when I follow US guidance. Is this normal? Before I launch in to finding out what I am doing wrong...could it be the flour? I am using Australian flour. Laucke Wallaby today. Any other Aussies find this an issue? Or should I just specialise in making great cricket balls for the extended family?

Thanks all

SS

 

Colin_Sutton's picture
Colin_Sutton

Hi SourSue, there is a discussion on a very similar issue with European flours over here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/45456/european-flours-and-hydration. You might find some ready-made answers there. Please do chime-in with your experiences too. Hope you find a solution and happy baking! Colin.

SourSue's picture
SourSue

Thanks Colin. I missed your thread so thanks so much for directing me. That was most helpful and nice to know it may not be me! Off I go to try to find the right hydration for our flours! I will report back.

SS

 

Colin_Sutton's picture
Colin_Sutton

No problem, Sue.  Glad you found the thread helpful. I'd been struggling with this for a while, and some helpful contributors on TFL pointed me in the right direction.  I would definitely see how dropping the hydration goes.  Have you learned about bakers' percentages?  Once you've worked that out, calculating the weight (mass) of water needed to achieve a given hydration is a breeze.  Looking forward to your update. Best wishes, and happy baking. Colin.

yozzause's picture
yozzause

Hi Sue

You haven't filled in your Member details, but at a guess using Wallaby flour id say South Australia, although we can and do get it here in WA. The biggest and easiest controllable ingredient in a dough is the amount of water that you use, and this will vary even when using the same flour. The main thing is to work with what you are comfortable with and gradually increase hydration levels as your confidence increases. My first attempts with sour dough went against almost everything I was taught in the bakehouse and dough making in particular.  

kind regards Derek (Perth)

SourSue's picture
SourSue

Thanks Derek. Yes I am in Adelaide. I am going to follow all your advice on my next loaf. Just finishing off eating my LAST glue ball (for old times sake). I am up to speed on the %s so will keep those constant and cut back on the water. I am feeling excited now!!

Thanks all!!

SS

possum-liz's picture
possum-liz

I bake in NSW where the humidity is a bit higher. What hydration % are you using? I usually run at about 70-72% for my breads that are 50+% wholegrain and drop the percentage about 5% for white or almost white loaves. Another question is--does the dough feel alright and then get wetter? I had problems with gluey bread one summer. The problem was my starter and over proofing/proofing too warm. I discarded a lot of the starter and fed several times a day before I put it back in the refrigerator. It went back to its old self after a few days of shock treatment.

SourSue's picture
SourSue

That's interesting. It was quite warm during the glueyest loaves with ambient temp around 30C. My last glue ball was the least gluey so far with an overnight proof outside at about 12C. My hydrations have been up around 73% with white flour. I feel I am not yet talented enough for wholewheat...which is my ultimate destination!!!

possum-liz's picture
possum-liz

I'd knock my hydration down to about 70%, if the dough seems dry, mist it with water in a spray bottle.

Another question--do you refrigerate your starter or keep it on the bench? If refrigerated--how long do you leave it out before refrigerating? If you keep the starter out in an un-airconditioned Australian summer, it will need two feeds a day.

Don't be afraid of whole wheat. Start with substituting 10-20 % in your normal white bread recipe. Whole rye is another story--it doesn't take much to make the dough sticky but up to 5% can add interest without much problem.

Pay more attention to the feel of the dough/stage of the proof rather than the clock when the weather is hot. It's easy to overdo the bulk proof. 

SourSue's picture
SourSue

Thanks fir that! I just made a loaf at 62.5% which was much better but still not quite perfect. I am not getting quite the right holes, though getting closer. Maybe it's the starter. I keep starter in fridge and then revive it with 2 feeds over 24 hours. It looks very active with lots of gas. But I dont get much rise on the bulk and final proof but a reasonable spring in the oven. Now its getting colder I look for a 25C spot for bulk proof and 12C for overnight final proof.

SourSue's picture
SourSue

Just checking if photo working

SourSue's picture
SourSue

Got it.