Oddbean new post about login | logout My problem is with more water it’s too sticky to work with. How do you work around that?
I just dusted it with flour as I was transferring it between my bowl and the loaf pan. Definitely makes it more sticky and kind of annoying to work with.
I think my problem is the recipe I use does not go directly from bowl to loaf pan, but has flour and other stuff added first. This one’s served me fairly well for years, but maybe I should be hunting for a new recipe 🤔
Wet and sticky dough becomes much more pliable if you work it enough. I tried a slap and fold technique for a while, like a more aggressive stretch and fold. It worked a bunch of air in and developed the dough so it was less sticky. It would take 15-30 minutes of work, though, so I've since been playing with water content and an easier stretch and fold to save time and effort.
Wet hands helps with the sticking. Like sloppy wet hands, lol.
Also, having a bread knife really helped me. I didn't have to touch it with my hands all too much.
Oh like the square chopper/scraper things?
That’s the opposite of what I would have thought! You always hear “well-floured hands”
I preach about The Sourdough School book by Vanessa Kimbell all the time, it's such a good resource explaining the how's and why's of sourdough. The water makes the flour slimy, so it slips off.
I’ll be looking into that book, thanks!