Let's talk about water today in bread mixing:
Water play a very vital role in your bread dough mixing.
If you have read any of my books or watched my Profesional videos on bakery and baking management, , especially Chef Henry Perfect Bread Recipes, you will notice all I have discussed about percentage of water and it's effect in your baked bread.
In mixing your dough, you need to understand what is called Dehydration rate. I am speaking grammar? Right? Let me break it down: It is the percentage or quantity of water that will leave or evaporate from your bread from when it is in the oven to when it is baked and cooled.
Some bakers and bakeries are failing or collapsing partly because they do not understand the type water and quantity to add during mixing. Some have just watched a YouTube Video recommending Warm water or yeast activation and they start using it for bread as standard.
These are not formula for commercial bread baking.
if you own a bakery or bake bread, you need to take very real time to study water science in bread baking
I spent a full year with 70 years Baba in Lagos and one full year with 65 year old Maame in Sapeiamn Accra, ghana. They have very traditional ways of mixing and adding water. They have noth baked bread for 35 years before taking responsibility of mentoring me.
"My son, I add water this way to give my bread good weight and chewiness", Maame will tell me.
Join my next physical Monthly Physical Class in Lagos or Have Physical one on one training or join our Online classes. Click Here
Let me state this: The temperature of your water is very critical to your final loaf, weight, volume, shelf life and how smooth and stretchy your bread should be. Anything outside the normal standard, you will encounter baking challenges.
It is not enough to do the above but also know when to add the water during mixing stage and when not to add water again.
What type and quantity of water are you using? What's steps and when do you add water?Are you mixing wet, dry or standard dough? What's your source of water?
How should I mix and what other ingredients in percentage do I need. For a complete Bread baking step by step guide with videos and ebooks, download Chef Henry's Perfect Bread Recipes now
