December 9, 2009 - 3:30pm
Dough Temperature
I mostly use PR's formulas, and he calls for about 77º-81º after kneading. My dough never gets there; usually its around 71-73º. Is this important? Doesn't the temperature in the room have an effect? Our kitchen is usually about 66-67º before the oven goes on.
BH
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So does the friction factor of your mixer, BH.
If you read through this thread, I think you'll find Dan DiMuzio's expertise quite helpful.
KAF also has an excellent page on the topic. You'll find it here
Hope this helps.
room temperature will have an influence especially if you are bulk fermenting over a long period.
water temperature is the esiest thing to control when dough making and there is a scale you can use to arrive at a nominated temperature take alook at previous posting on this subject
www.thefreshloaf.com/node/13818/how-do-you-control-temperatures
good to see you taking temps and dont forget to keep notes too
regards yozza
I read the "simple factors" post, but did I miss something?:
"So if my dough was to finish at 78 dgrees and my flour temperature was 75 degrees i would apply the above chart and take the flour temperature away from the the charts 146 telling me the water temperature will need to be 68 degrees."
I don't follow the math. 146-75=71, no?
Here's how I would do the calculation if I were using classic methods for a dough without a preferment:
Air temp (ambient temp) 66F
Flour temp 75F
Desired temp 78F
Friction Factor (hand mixing) 0
78*3 (because there are three elements water, flour, ambient) = 234
234-0 = 234 (to account for friction factor)
234-(66+75) = 93F for water temp - which is much more logical to me because if you want a dough temp above the temp of the flour and you are in a cold room, you would want a water temp higher than the flour temp.
For small amounts of dough at home, I use the "lazy way"
Ambient temp 66F (I assume that my flour will be at ambient. This may or may not be true, which is why this is the lazy way)
Desired dough temp 78F
78-66 = 12 (How much colder the room is than my desired temperature, so how much warmer my water needs to be than desired temp)
12+78 = 90F is the water temp
The lazy method I can do in my head and I get close to the desired dough temp when I use this method.
I am also acutely aware that when I am working with small amounts of dough and hand mixing, that dough temperature will move quickly to ambient (the laws of thermodynamics have not yet been repealed) so small errors are unimportant. If I were making a larger batch of dough, I would use the full method.
I'm not sure about the method that comes up with the answer you quoted. It may be including a friction factor for a mixer that you are not using. I'm sure it came from wiser heads than mine.
Again, I'm not a pro baker, but the first method above is what I was taught.
Hope this helps.
BLACKHORSE you are quite correct it should be 71, you will find by keeping your own records that you will soon have a chart that is good for your own situation/ location, type of machine etc that you might be using. but it is a good starting point. even better if the correct math is used too, sorry about that but go to the top of the class
regards yozza
Thanks, Yozza. How about using an infrared thermometer (which I happen to have)?
BH
Infra red thermometers are good and will give you a surface temp, the thermometers for measuring water and flour are quite cheap, fast and accurate some will also have a hold temp function which is very handy.
Be very nice to hear how you get on !
regards yozza