KotiChef

Think of hydration as a spectrum with distinct neighborhoods, each creating breads with their own personality. At the low end, around 50-55%, you'll find the sturdy citizens like bagels and pretzels. These doughs feel almost leathery – firm, smooth, and incredibly easy to shape. They hold their form beautifully, which is exactly what you want when you're twisting a pretzel or rolling a bagel.

Move up to 60-65%, and you're in familiar territory for most home bakers. This is where sandwich loaves and dinner rolls live. The dough has enough structure to handle easily but sufficient moisture to create a tender crumb. It's the sweet spot that feels manageable without being boring.

Step into the 70-75% range, and things get more interesting. Pizza doughs often inhabit this zone, along with many artisan breads. Here, you start to see the magic of higher hydration – dough that stretches beautifully, creating those satisfying windowpane tests, and bakes up with a more open, irregular crumb structure.

Push beyond 80%, and you're in the territory of breads like ciabatta and focaccia. These doughs challenge everything you think you know about bread making. They're wet, sticky, and seem almost alive in how they move and flow. But this apparent chaos creates some of the most beautiful breads – loaves with dramatic holes, crispy crusts, and incredibly light textures.

The key insight is that each hydration level isn't just a different difficulty setting – it's a different tool for creating specific textures. That wet, seemingly unmanageable ciabatta dough isn't a mistake or a sign that something's wrong. It's exactly what's needed to create those characteristic large, irregular holes and that almost custard-like interior crumb.