This is one of those old-school techniques that quietly fixes a lot of whole grain baking problems. A soaker is simply pre-hydrating whole grain flour, oats, seeds, cracked grains, or bran before mixing the final dough. Why does that matter? Because bran is sharp. At a microscopic level, those bran flakes can weaken gluten development and hold back your rise. A soaker softens the bran and lets the grain absorb water before it starts competing with the dough for hydration. That usually means: 🥖 Better extensibility 🥖 Better rise 🥖 Softer crumb 🥖 Better overall structure You generally start thinking about using a soaker once whole grain flour climbs above about 30% of the total flour in the dough. Below that, the gluten can usually handle things just fine on its own. Small technique. Big difference. Do me a big favor and like and subscribe while there if this is helpful to you.

Family. I’m out this afternoon celebrating Ryan’s graduation from FMU. Master’s degree. Proud day. Get your poolish going and feed those starters tonight. Tomorrow is Pretzel Bread Day and you don’t want to be playing catch-up. I’ll be back late tonight from the ceremony. See you in the kitchen. ~Henry ⭐️🔥

Lievito Madre is a stiff Italian sourdough starter (~45-50% hydration) that provides a milder, sweeter flavor profile, improved digestibility, and superior, fluffier texture in baked goods compared to liquid starters. Due to its low-acid, yeast-heavy fermentation, it is ideal for any dough but especially for rich, high-fat, and sweet doughs like panettone, brioche, and premium pizza. Levito Madre can be used in it’s stiff state or you can make a levain from it. Key Benefits of Lievito Madre - Superior Texture & Volume: Produces incredibly light, fluffy, and soft dough structures, making it perfect for enriched breads. Also works wonderfully in lean doughs - Mild Flavor Profile: Unlike tangy, acidic liquid starters, Lievito Madre creates a delicate, mild, and often sweet aroma due to high lactic acid production. - Enhanced Digestibility: Long fermentation breaks down gluten and antinutrients, making the final bread easier to digest. - Its stiff, strong structure helps doughs rise in recipes with high fat and sugar, such as panettone or pizza, without losing, strength. - Longer Shelf Life: Natural acids from the slow fermentation act as a preservative, keeping baked goods fresh for longer without mold. - Nutritional Benefits: Increases the availability of vitamins and minerals like magnesium and iron. - Ideal for Pizza: Produces a very airy, crunchy crust with high digestibility. Lievito Madre vs. Liquid Sourdough - Hydration: Stiff/Firm (45–50% water) vs. Liquid (usually 100% water). - Flavor: Mild and sweet vs. Often sour/acidic. - Bacteria/Yeast: Promotes more lactic acid bacteria and yeast growth, less acetic acid. Usage Tips - Because it is firm, it is sometimes "bathed" (soaked in water) to reduce acidity before refreshing. - It is often used in recipes requiring long, natural rising. Pictured below are the stages of fermentation, from just mixed to peak Happy Baking!! @Tracy Havlik @Donna Angelo @Sandy Chong @Ann Snow @Patt Stanaway @Deborah Karaban @Judy Lyle @Mauvette Bailey @JoAnn Amato @Colleen Vergara

I substitute the Bread flour to AP flour. It took me longer for bulk fermentation. As the great advice from Henry to score the dough deeper, and angle the lame. The dough look much better than my first attempt. The 3 rd photo was my first attempt. @Henry Hunter Thank you for a nice suggestion.

Thank you for all your help Henry for the help adding tangzhong to my sandwich recipe! Crumb pics tomorrow after it cools❤️