Rant: Why I stopped trusting super wet dough recipes after my kitchen disaster

I always thought more water in bread dough meant a better crumb, like those fancy artisan bakers online. Then I tried a 85% hydration recipe last Tuesday and ended up with a sticky mess that refused to shape and baked into a flat pancake. Has anyone else found that sticking to 70% or lower gives way more consistent results?

3 comments

3 Comments

wood.faith1mo ago

Nah, 85% is doable, you just gotta work on technique.

evan_green521mo ago

Have you ever stopped to think about what happens with your teeth if you fail that 85% free throw? I mean, if you're jumping around and missing, you could land wrong and smack your mouth on someone's elbow or the floor. I see people in my line of work who got their front teeth chipped from stuff like that, and it's not just a quick fix. A bad landing from a free throw attempt can do real damage, way more than just losing a game point. So while you're working on your shooting technique, maybe think about protecting your smile too. It's a weird angle, but it's worth keeping in mind.

victor7791mo agoTop Commenter

Yeah, but 85% is still pretty high for most people though. Even a lot of NBA guys don't hit that consistently, and they practice every single day. Technique matters a lot, sure, but there's also just the basic fact that free throws are hard under pressure. Your form can be perfect in practice and fall apart when the game's on the line or you're tired. So I'd say 85% is more of a reach goal than something most people can just do if they try hard enough.