Bakery in Sacramento showed me a better way to handle sticky dough

I stopped into this small bakery off of R Street last weekend, place called Faria's, just to grab a loaf. Watched the guy behind the counter work with a ciabatta dough that was wetter than anything I try at home. He wasn't dusting the counter with flour like I always do. Instead he kept a bowl of water next to him and dipped his hands and the bench scraper in it every few seconds. The dough never stuck to anything, and he shaped the loaves in like 20 seconds each, no mess at all. I tried it at home the next day with my usual 75% hydration recipe and it worked way better than the flour method. My counter stays cleaner and the dough keeps its shape without me fighting it. Has anyone else tried wet hands instead of flour for sticky dough, or is this just something professional bakers keep secret?

0 comments

0 Comments

No comments yet

Be the first to share your thoughts on this discussion.