Doughy thoughts

Tonight my Beloved and I were winding down her day, and we usually take inventory of what has happened over the past 24 hours.

"What's on your mind? What are you thinking about?"

Nothing.

"No, really. What are you pondering tonight?"

Eh...

"Tell me!" 

Ok.

I've been thinking about sourdough hydration tables and protein content. I had a bit of a breakthrough a couple weeks ago when I was getting so confused by how the bakers on youtube could use much higher hydration ratios with their recipe, on the upwards of 75%-80%, yet their dough looked so much stiffer than mine. I didn't understand what I was doing wrong, until I learned that not all flours are equal.

Now, you might wonder what that means. What I mean is, different flours have different absorption rates, and it has to do with their protein content. Normal AP flours usually have 10-11% protein, while higher quality flours and those straight from the mill might have upwards of 14-15% protein content. The more protein they have, the higher the absorption rate. These bakers on youtube are using much higher protein levels in their flour, so they can use much more water and still not end up with a soupy mess. And they get much better oven spring because the added protein helps develop much stronger gluten strands.

So I take this information and lower my own recipe to right around 70%, but with this lower level of hydration, allow it to proof longer before refrigeration. Along with this, I utilize a 1:5:5 starter ratio to really slow down the process to create as much fermentation possible. 

The net result - the breakthrough I mentioned - is a stiffer dough with tighter gluten strands that was able to support the weight of the dough better and get a more vertical rise. Meanwhile, the slower fermentation process allowed the crumb to still develop well so it was still flavorful without becoming too dense. 

So that's what I've been thinking about.

She turns and looks me in the eyes, more horror than wonder in hers.

"Andy...You are insane."