High Hydration Sourdough- Top Tips for Working with it! | Baker Bettie

Working with high hydration doughs can be beneficial in making a sourdough loaf with a more open crumb structure and a softer crumb. However, this type of dough can be very tricky tame. Here are some of my best tips for learning to work with this style of dough.
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0:00 Intro
0:58 What is Hydration in Bread Baking?
1:50 Tip #1: Reduce the Hydration & Gradually Increase
2:22 Tip #2: Utilize the Autolyse Step
3:36 Tip #3: Use Wet Hands with Building Strength
4:07 Tip #4: Learn to Read the Strength in Your Dough
5:11 Tip #5: Preserve the Air in Your Dough When Shaping
5:52 Tip #6: Only Flour the Outside, Not the Inside
6:32 Tip #7: Use Your Bench Knife as an Extension of Your Hand
6:57 Tip #8: Let the Dough Naturally Stick to and Move With Your Hand
7:28 Tip #9: Use Quick & Confident Movements
7:48 Tip #10: Pre-Shape Your Dough
8:18 Tip #11: Build Strong Tension on the Outside of Your Dough
8:52 Tip #12: Retard Your Dough in the Refrigerator
9:44 Outro
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[@lawrencesalisbury2367]

I love how you continually iterate its progress, not perfection. Makes everything seem so approachable

[@jherbranson]

This is really well made. Thank you for the focused explanations it's really helpful.

[@Amond]

Thank you, very informative and helpful video! 🌺

[@Christine-ec3mh]

Tip #6 is what I needed to hear. I’ve been flouring the top too. Thank you for the tip!!!

[@arttheclown1163]

Clear, informative and concice. Well done!

[@susangarland6869]

Thank you for this. I love your clear, detailed instructions. A rarity on KZbin, but so very valuable.

[@BakerBettie]

I'm so glad you enjoy it!

[@nozyavuzgil]

Thank you Bettie! You are a great instructor!

[@mariaaugustacosta8705]

Hi Bettie, a fan from Brazil here! You’re a fantastic teacher and sourdough just became easier with your instructions! One thing I still struggle with is how to be sure any bread is ready to go into the oven… watched your poke test but am not confident yet and do sometimes end up with a flat bread… really grateful!!

[@Joyful-Heart777]

Love your tips. Thank you!!

[@brendabee]

Great tips thank you! And I just love your bowls in the background 😉

[@lindaang7814]

My favorite are 82% hydration. Been working with sd for 6 years now. Bake one loaf weekly. My girl loves sd loaf for her breakfast n toast. Really love your videos 👍

[@nancyholmquist2573]

Thank you for the tips, you answered some questions I have had for a long time.

[@fangpra6161]

Your tips sounds very helpful, thanks for sharing and I will try it!

[@herbie759]

Thanks bettie. Your the best

[@rachelkrumenauer4354]

VERY helpful video. I learned a lot.

[@eviesahagun233]

This was very helpful! Thank you :))

[@thoma2939]

Always helpful!

[@BakerBettie]

I'm so glad!

[@lisanowakow3688]

Thank you!

[@tsilbaugh5314]

Thank you! I’m going to try these steps!!

[@BakerBettie]

You got this!

[@undorr]

Thanks again Bettie love the way you teach us 👍😀🌹

[@BakerBettie]

Thanks so much !

[@jassonjasson7418]

Excellent tutorial chef 👍👌👏. Thank you for your effort 🌞🌹😎

[@Psalm13903]

Thank you Baker Bettie; I’ve learned so much from your sourdough videos. You’re a good teacher 👩🏻‍🍳

[@BakerBettie]

Thanks so much!

[@heatherlinakridge]

Wow, thank you! You are really brilliant at this. 🙂🙂😊😊😊

[@sabrinaberlimribeiro3764]

Amazing tips!!!

[@BakerBettie]

Glad they are helpful!

[@lindaknox4673]

Excellent! Thank you so much.

[@BakerBettie]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ludmilatsodikov3366]

Thank you very much for this video ❤️

[@BakerBettie]

You are so welcome!

[@deborahanderson7443]

Thank you

[@robfirth6501]

thanks for sharing with such great knowledge of this. really refreshing and exciting

[@BakerBettie]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@charliebravo6928]

This is super helpful. Thankyou from a very nervous novice in Australia

[@BakerBettie]

you're welcome!

[@mr.Mikeyboy]

Thank u for this info! My biggest problem is squatty loafs

[@amandafagan7780]

Hi Baker Bettie, I am having so much fun learning from you! While I await the arrival of your book…I’ve been making your beginner sourdough loaf and get completely consistently perfect results! I’d like to try taking the next step and try to increase the hydration. Do you have another video/recipe like the beginner loaf? Got lots of great tips from this video, but Im just wondering if you have an actual separate recipe since apparently it should be stretched and folded more times? Thank you!!

[@weekendsareforwitchery]

Just finding your playlist on sourdough and It has been more helpful than any other articles I have used! I have one question....you mention 2 times of shaping......I thought you only shaped after your turns once then let the second proof do the rest of the work? When would be a second shaping? TY!

[@helenrobertson2664]

Thankyou for the tips on high hydration. I am making wholegrain spelt sourdough 85 percent hydration. I'm really having trouble with first shape...it won't hold its shape. The bread is delicious but without much rise. Any hints for me. I loved your section on working with high hydration.. Thx

[@sunnyphillips6356]

Hi Bettie, I've learned a lot from watching you. Love all your vintage pyrex bowls! One question-how deep should I score my Sourdough?

[@BakerBettie]

Between 1/4-1/2 inch deep

[@amandafagan7780]

Thank you for all these tips! I got confused about one thing…I’ve been using your no-knead recipe for awhile but I’m realizing with higher hydration I need to do stretch-and-folds. Does doing those affect the initial bulk fermentation time? Should it be shorter since the stretch-and-folds are doing the work of building the gluten? Thank you!

[@pad92011]

I love this channel, and specially the sour dough series. But, I have another tip that will make or brake your high hydration dough: Protein content of the Flour. Specially for people that have no access to king Arthur all purpose. The higher the protein, the higher the hydration limit.

[@BakerBettie]

Yes, this is an excellent point!

[@mgn721]

What is the minimum protein content to aim for?

[@pad92011]

At least 12% protein content would do fine for a 70% hydration dough for beginners.

[@mgn721]

@@pad92011 Thanks!

[@lydzphens]

❤️❤️❤️

[@siobhanrose1680]

New to sourdough, and for some reason decided that a 85% hydration range would be where I would start. Heckin’ hard. I’ve made some really delicious bread, but my shaping is waaaay below par. Thankfully, (I’m making boules in a Dutch oven) the bread is rising and is lovely. Just, damn, it’s HARD to shape.

[@chrspod4133]

@Baker Bettie : Just out of curiosity, instead of discarding a portion of your starter, couldn't you just take a portion of that day's starter, feed it and use that in your recipe when it reaches its peek?

[@freedomdove]

Thank you so much for your sourdough videos. They have been most helpful. After you score the refrigerated dough, do you have to let it come to room temperature before putting in the dutch oven, or does it go in cold?

[@BakerBettie]

after refrigerating, it needs to come to room temperature and then proof before baking.

[@freedomdove]

@@BakerBettie Okay, thank you!

[@kmbailey8601]

I’m sorry for missing a little math here… what hydration level is the 1:3:3 you mention in your maintenance feeding for starters? (In another video’s info). I don’t know how to figure hydration level. Maybe I missed a video on that …

[@lolajacomino6574]

Hi Betti!!! After we take the bread from the fridge, do we have to wait for the dough to get to room temperature? Do we score the bread when is cold? I’m confuse about all these. Thank you so much for your work ❤

[@knittingwithnellie]

Hey I'm new to sourdough making but what ive read is that you want to score when the dough is cold.

[@debbiewinzell7056]

Learning how to make sourdough bread has been on my bucket list for a long time but I have never been able to give it the time until now. I am 70 (officially 69 until next Wednesday), retired and ready to now meet the challenge. I have thrown away at least five starters that were complete FLOPS! I went from channel to channel watching the myriad of ways that people make the starter, and even tried a few (the flops) before I found your series and knew I was “home”. I appropriately named my starter “Betty” and I listened intently through the whole series before I began. I started yesterday (Friday) so that I could hopefully bake the bread next weekend. Let me start by saying this is not my first time in the kitchen! I am an accomplished cook and have never had a recipe so difficult that I could not successfully make it! That is why I am SO FRUSTRATED that I am having such a hard time with this - it’s flour and water for goodness sake! Yesterday was no different. I weighed and I measured, I did everything right!! I had previously surmised that perhaps my house was too cold. I keep it at 73 degrees and have been unable to find a place in my kitchen that is warmer. My refrigerator is built in so no room above it. Aaaha! My lower oven had to be the answer to my quandary. I rarely use it so there would be no danger of accidentally turning it on. So I carefully placed Betty in the oven, closed the door, turned on the oven light and left it without a glance until this morning when I opened the oven door to a waft of heat hitting me in the face and the glass sides of my container were so hot that I needed a potholder to get it out! My starter looked like a cake mix looks in the pan when it is just set and the top was completely glazed over. It was 173 degrees in the oven and that temp was taken after I had turned off the lights and had the door open for a short time. Betty, still in her infancy, thrown in the garbage like all of her previous predecessors! The only thing I can come up with is (1) the lower oven is a smaller oven, and (2) and most importantly for others to know, the new ovens today have not one but two larger WARMING lights that I am assuming are made to keep foods hot when cooking in stages like frying chicken, etc. So here I sit, now second guessing my initial decision to toss Betty in the garbage. Did I make the right decision, Betty? How warm is too warm for a starter in its infancy to survive. I have decided that I am next going to leave the kitchen and put Betty2 in my walk-in closet. Very little air conditioning enters there unless I open the door. So watch out bakers before you put your starter in the oven. Make sure the lights are not generating more heat than your starter can stand.

[@gastonblagustus4625]

If you trying to build a new starter, try but using filtered water at 34 degree Celsius the first day, at 30 the second day, then 28 degree Celsius the 3th day. You need to keep feeding your new starter build for 7 more days with temperatures between 22 and below 28 is fine. Quality of water is very important.

[@dalepres1]

Keep the door open with the light on for warmth. Otherwise, as you learned, it's too hot.

[@denisemoore9316]

I’m just reading this and wondering if you had any lucky. My home heating is set at 72, so I’m hoping my starter will be fine since the outside temperature is transitioning to warmer temps. Thinking of using my oven or pantry as a backup! Tomorrow is day 1, for me.😅

[@barbarakaminska4866]

I know this isn't the answer you're looking for, but ask around and see if any of your friends has an active starter. I have struggled to establish a starter for a very long time, took some from a friend, and over a year later, I am still baking with it. I changed it from AP flour to a jar of rye and a jar of whole wheat without any issues.

[@MeMareOO]

I know I’m 2 years behind...what I do is have my starter in a mason jar with loose fitting lid. First I warm a cup of water in the microwave then set the starter in with the warm water overnight. Makes a great proofing space. Just don’t run the microwave! 😉

[@eddieagha5851]

Hi Bettie, a fan from Southern Illinois! Have you come to the conclusion that it is BETTER to pre-heat your Dutch Oven, even though not pre-heating does work? I'm on Day 5 of your starter recipe, still waiting for some "action" from my new pet "Lucy!" Thanks for all your help!

[@BakerBettie]

I find that pre-heating the dutch oven helps to get consistent results. However, I have had great results without pre-heating.

[@eddieagha5851]

@@BakerBettie thank you. I like the idea of consistent results!

[@mgn721]

Does catching the bulk-fermentation right help in shaping/handling the dough? or irrespective it is going to be difficult handling high-hydration doughs?

[@BakerBettie]

Yes, the bulk fermentation is important for a number of reasons including to help with shaping.

[@mgn721]

@@BakerBettie Thanks Bettie.

[@lavonneglanville1735]

Crust is so tough in my sourdough. How can I remedy this?

[@PeacefulPlanting-Sydnee]

Do you stretch & fold until you pass the window payne test?

[@BakerBettie]

Yes! I prefer the poke method over the windowpane test: poke the dough with your finger, if the dough bounces back without sticking to your finger, it’s been kneaded enough. If it doesn’t, keep kneading!

[@PeacefulPlanting-Sydnee]

@@BakerBettie Thanks!!

[@spqr701]

Hey Betty

[@anngarland9403]

Hi bettie, does your dough have to float for it to be ready for your dough. My starter more than doubles I 4 to 6 hours, but it does not float. Thank you so much. Ag

[@anngarland9403]

Hi bettie, does your dough have to float for it to be ready for your dough. My starter more than doubles I 4 to 6 hours, but it does not float. Thank you so much. Ag

[@charlesbruggmann7909]

Hasn’t high hydration become a way of showing off? Is 85% hydrated bread always better than 70% hydrated? Surely this is also a question of what type and quality of flour you use. I recently wrecked a bread made with a low-protein ‘heritage wheat’ flour by over hydrating it.

[@BakerBettie]

I wish I would have gotten into this more in this video. But of course, the type of flour and protein content has a huge effect on the outcome of your bread. And hydration level is all relative. a 70% hydration bread with all white flour might feel relatively similar to an 85% hydration bread with a very high ratio of whole-grain flour. But in general and to an extent, higher hydration dough leads to breads with a thinner yet crisp crust than lower hydration doughs which tend ot have thicker crusts that can be difficult to cut through. It is also easier to achieve a more open crumb, which some people love the texture of, and the breads tend to not stale as quickly. I also find the flavor to be more developed. But to your point, there is a point in which the hydration level gets so high that these things aren't really improving any farther and the level of hydration isn't actually a benefit.

[@charlesbruggmann7909]

@@BakerBettie By complete coincidence, Sune just posted this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWjal6WtnbmdhZo

[@G41251]

Truth be known… I would start with 100% hydration dough. It’s easier to go down in hydration than it is to go up. There is a completely different technique for low hydration dough than is required for high hydration dough.

[@CT-vl3iu]

..non of this will help you if the protein content in your flour is poor...10% useless...high quality high protein flour is a must.

[@janetill1158]

What percentage as a minimum would you suggest?