Hit 200 loaves of sourdough before I finally got the crumb I wanted

I kept seeing people online say they nailed open crumb on their first or second try. Took me 200 loaves over 3 years to get that big irregular holes look. I was using a starter that was too young and not folding enough in the first hour. The real game changer was dropping my hydration from 80% to 72% and letting it cold proof for 18 hours instead of 12. Anyone else find that the popular advice about high hydration just made their dough a sloppy mess?

2 comments

2 Comments

hannahs451mo ago

Why mess with a good thing if lower hydration works for you?

king.andrew1mo ago

Lower hydration doughs are a totally different animal and it's funny how people act like you HAVE to push hydration to 80% to get good bread. I've had some of my best sandwich loaves at like 65% hydration they were easy to shape and didn't spread into a pancake in the oven. Higher hydration can be great for open crumb and those ear explosions on sourdough but it's a pain to work with and you lose a lot of structure. If you're making baguettes or a lean country loaf lower hydration gives you that tight chewy crumb that holds up to butter and toppings way better.