bake - November 2016 - 32

High-Hydration Doughs
It is often said that water can be a baker's best friend, so it

levain, the Ibis bakers will follow a two-day ritual, spanning 18

may come as no surprise that a growing number of artisan

to 20 hours from initial feed to bake and producing up to 200

bread bakers in America are testing the waters by using high-

loaves a day through the week and 300 loaves on Saturdays.

hydration doughs to bake ﬂavorful breads.

Their doughs push the 85 percent hydration limit, meaning
these doughs are very wet and sticky.

Baking experts say that some breads are improved with high
hydrations, while others are not. The important thing is to

At Babette's in Denver, Colorado, owner Steve Scott starts

start with the desired characteristics (ﬂavor, crumb structure,

with a mild levain and high hydration, developing strength

texture, crust, etc.) and work from there.

through punching and folding by hand rather than mechanical
mixing, and retarding for 12 to 18 hours. This is Scott's daily

Some say that high hydration works particularly well in a low-

ritual in his quest toward perfection. "My standards for each

moisture baking chamber such as wood-ﬁre ovens. But that is

and every product are set very high," he says.

far from the driving force behind this movement.
It's hard to imagine that a year ago Chicago's popular Baker
Jim Lahey of New York City's Sullivan Street Bakery helped

Miller Bakery & Millhouse considered cutting its bread program

popularize the trend toward using shaggy, sticky doughs to

completely, so it could focus on other products and reduce

develop ﬂavor when he unveiled his no-knead bread recipe,

labor costs. However, when customers caught wind of it, they

which became one of the most popular recipes ever published

were not pleased. The unique style of the bakery's bread made

by the New York Times.

it stand out among offerings in the city.

Chad Robertson of Tartine in San Francisco explains that a

Owner Dave Miller explains that Baker Miller uses a no-knead

moist dough will have more volume and will ferment at a

method to produce bread that is folded four times, every hour

lower rate to take on more layered ﬂavors. "But generally the

and a half, before it is panned and baked. They sell two types

combination of more water and baking to a higher internal

of loaves a day, a sourdough and a sunﬂower rye, and incorpo-

temperature will also gelatinize the starch more thoroughly,

rate other varieties into the restaurant's menu.

and gelatinized starch forms an important part of the texture
of the crumb," he adds.

For many bakers working with high-hydration doughs, they
ﬁnd the process to be complex but gratifying once they

Chris Matsch of Ibis Bakery in Lenexa, Kansas, became

achieved their desired results. It's not for everyone, nor every

inspired to be a bread baker once he tasted the breads of

type of bread. But when done right, the ﬁnal results can

Tartine while visiting San Francisco. Starting with a liquid

approach bread perfection. JOHN U N R EIN

32 < NOV 2016 | bakemag.com
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