Last week's digest addressed a hydration question, a response by Diane who
said:
"Percent hydration is the amount of water expressed as a percentage of the
weight of flour. If you were using one pound of flour, a 70% hydration
dough would use 0.7 lb, or about 11 oz of water. Other ingredients may
also be expressed similarly as a percentage of the flour weight, where the
weight of flour is taken to be 100%."
The hydration question (confusing initially, simple and superb once
understood) leads me to an additional perspective:
If there is one item that made a dramatic change in my baking experience -
buying a scale to weigh ingredients tops the list! It was not the mixer,
nor the knife, yeast, flour-brand, etc.
My advice: Those with a moderate interest in baking, make the scale a
must-buy item. Ironically, scales are rarely mentioned in baking
discussions. Yes, you absolutely can bake without a scale. But a scale
pays two big dividends:
1. Simplifies your baking life,
2. Makes you a better baker.
Accuracy (repeatability in particular) improves greatly. A second bonus:
measuring cups are eliminated- less things to clean or keep track of. One
set of 1/8-to-1 tea measuring spoons (for items too small to weigh - salt,
yeast, etc.) is the only other tool needed.
An equally strong recommendation: change to the metric system - use grams.
The ounces, pounds and measuring-cup system is a nightmare and
error-prone. Diane's hydration advice illustrates the pounds-ounces
stumbling block - a math-conversion nightmare. It becomes worse when trying
to increase or decrease (in size) a given recipe. When using grams, all
number-units stay in grams.
In Diane's example: one pound equals 454 grams of flour.
70% (water required) of 454 is 318 grams.
In the mixing bowl (the bowl placed directly on the scale), add 454 grams
of flour, reset the scale to zero, then pour in 318 grams of
water. Measuring cups are not used. None.
Scales and the metric system provide another advantage in liquid
measurement: 1 milli-liter (ml) of water equals 1 gram of weight. There's
no need to use a graduated cup (many are inaccurate) to measure say, 300 ml
of water... simply pour 300 grams (weight) into the mixing bowl on the scale.
In comparison: bending down trying to view the 11-ounce line on a measuring
cup, first figure out which column (of many) is in ounces, also remember
which side of the liquid's edge is the correct point of measure, and is the
cup setting on a level counter?
Another advantage of scales: If you wish to make a slight adjustment, say
66% hydration (a stiffer dough) instead of 70% (which is wetter) ...the
water added (by weight) is 300 grams (66% of 454), the flour portion
remains 454 grams.
I suspect we often get too wrapped up in discussions about flours, mixers,
knives, yeast, etc. Though each has its place, buying a scale provides the
best value by far. Once you own one you'll wonder how life is possible
without it!
- Ed Okie