ratio of flour to liquid in bread

ratio of flour to liquid in bread - Sliced Bread On Gray Surface

I am new to baking bread, and I have a recipe that calls for 2 1/4 cups total liquid to 2 3/4 cup whole wheat flour and 2 3/4 cup unbleached flour. I have made this several times, and can never mix in all of the flour, which will cause the bread to fall when baking. I do not have a mixer or bread machine, and this recipe is not for a bread machine. Help! Thank you!



Best Answer

This works out to a ratio of 77% hydration (see this answer for an explanation of the term), which is a very good choice for this flour mixture and should not be dry at all. So the problem is most likely in your measurement. The best you can do is to use a scale, because volume is very unreliable. In If you absolutely insist on measuring by volume, you will have to invest time in getting to do it properly - not packing, levelling well, etc.

Also, you should not be mixing the flour into the dough, you should bne kneading it. If by mixing you mean you are stirring it with a spoon, this is only an early step, you will have to continue kneading the soft dough in the bed of flour until the flour has been absorbed, and then continue for enough time to get a nice elastic dough (about 15 min of hand kneading). I am sorry if this sounds patronizing and you are already kneading properly, you did not describe it in detail so I am trying to exclude the possible culprits here.




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What is the flour to liquid ratio for dough?

For the best result, keep the fat as cold as possible before being combined with its two counterparts. Almost any kind of bread will follow the ratio of 5 parts flour to 3 parts liquid, with the addition of a pinch of salt and a little yeast or baking powder\u2014about 1 teaspoon per pound of flour.

How much water do I need for 500g of bread flour?

I use approx 320ml of lukewarm water to 500g of flour. I put a sachet of yeast, the flour, a teaspoon of salt and 40ml olive oil in the food mixer with the dough hook. I let the ingredients mix before I add the water a bit at a time until the dough becomes a wet and smooth ball.

How much water do I need for 300g of bread flour?

(2)itemweightcups or spoonsbread flour300 g2 + 1/4 cupswater180 g3/4 cupsalt6 g1 tspinstant yeast3 g1 tsp3 more rows•Jan 15, 2018

How do you mix flour and water for bread?

For those of you working with a stand mixer, start by placing the water into the mixing bowl, and then dump your flour on top. This will help to ensure that flour doesn't stick to the bottom and clump\u2014flour clumps make for lumpy bread.



Bread Making 101|Golden Ratio of Basic Bread Recipe Ingredients|Nadia L




More answers regarding ratio of flour to liquid in bread

Answer 2

I agree with rumtscho that the hydration (77%) is very consistent with other breads I've made, so I don't think the amounts are wrong.

Flour measurements are very prone to inaccuracy when using volume measurements. Different flours will measure differently by as much as 30% in my experience.

If you cannot use by-weight measurement, you should use proper technique in measuring flour. Spoon (with a tablespoon or similar) the flour into the measuring cup, not pressing down or packing between spoons, and when the cup is slightly over-ful take a knife or similar flat edge and scrape horizontally across the top of the measuring cup.

Also, ensure you are using a dry measuring cup, and not a liquid measuring cup; liquid measuring cups are very inaccurate for dry measurements.

Finally, be cognizant of the humidity of your environment. If you are in a very dry environment (and if you have A/C on full blast you probably are, and winter is similarly more dry than summer), you may need slightly more water, and in a very wet environment slightly less water. This is only a few tablespoons, though, it's unlikely you'd need more than that much more in a very dry environment, and in my experience most recipes are written for dry environments (as most of us cook in air-conditioned rooms) and so it's more likely you'd have too much water than too little (I usually reserve a few tablespoons from the total water if it's a new recipe and/or the humidity indoors seems high).

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

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