How does someone control, or measure for that matter, the amount of=20
hydration in their dough? I've always made the same recipe, but it=20
lacked the wonderfully big holes that I'm used to with San Francisco=20
Sourdough.

I definately want to give more hydration a try next time, but need some=20
help understanding how to go abouts it. :-)

Robert
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Ed Bechtel wrote:
> Several times a year I try to make bread with holes by using higher hyd=
ration.=20
> Then I go back to 65 percent hydration for the rest of the year.=20
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> Sunday night I made a single loaf to give it the semi annual try.
> Dough weight: 19 ounces
> Hydration 72 to 74 percent
> Flour: Wheatmontana White
> Starter: 35% (Mr. Baker)
> Finish weight: 16.5 ounces
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> Photos are shown. Sorry no ambient daylight was available.
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> Bread nearly done baking.
> http://members.aol.com/smoken1667/im...eadonstone.jpg
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> Overall dimension.
> http://members.aol.com/smoken1667/im...readlength.jpg
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> Three slices, a third of the way from one end.
> http://members.aol.com/smoken1667/images/3slices2.jpg
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> Same three slices on scanner (my wife=E2=80=99s scanner).
> http://members.aol.com/smoken1667/images/3slices.jpg
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> This is about as good is I=E2=80=99ve been able to attain for loaf size=
plus holes,
> and I fear this is the limit for [my] home baking capabilities. Any adv=
ice is
> welcome for obtaining a more distributed airiness to the bread, or simp=
ly more
> holes.
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> Interestingly I find the loaf similar to photos shown at an older post =
May 8,
> 2002. I don=E2=80=99t know how to hyperlink an old post. To find the p=
hotos, I
> googled =E2=80=9Cprettycolors.com=E2=80=9D then picked the rfs post ent=
itled =E2=80=9Csteam=E2=80=9D.
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> Ed
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