How do I determine the moisture content of my dough?

M
  • Posted by: M
  • July 1, 2019
  • 5835 views
  • 3 Comments

3 Comments

Lori T. July 2, 2019
Are you referring to determining the baker's percentage? That generally determines the percentage of liquid in relation to the weight of flour called for. There is a great, short how-to here: https://www.craftybaking.com/howto/bakers-percentage-method
Of course, you will need to know how much liquid you added by weight, rather than by cup measurements for this to be useful.
Determining the exact amount of moisture in your dough would not be practical. It would require managing to remove all the liquid from your dough to start with, so it could be measured in some way. Most bakers learn to judge content by feel, using the sticky test- how much dough sticks to your hand, board, bowl, etc. Your recipe will generally tell you if it's going to be a sticky dough, a wet dough, etc. Other than that, it's just a matter of trial and learn.
 
Smaug July 2, 2019
Since a fluid ounce of water weighs an ounce (and a cubic centimeter a gram), weight/volume conversions are pretty painless.
 
Smaug July 1, 2019
By touch, far as I know. There are moisture meters made for gardening, and maybe professional bakers have some such things, but at home it's a matter of feel (as is much of bread baking) and, naturally, of knowing what you put in the dough.
 
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