Why does nobody talk about humidity in the proofing box

I was baking at a friend's place in Miami last summer and my dough was a total mess. Sticky, flat, would not rise right even though it was warm. Turns out her kitchen was so humid it was basically proofing the outside of the dough faster than the inside. I had to drop my water by almost 20% to get a decent crumb. Has anyone else had to adjust their hydration for local weather like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

miaprice12h ago

Miami humidity wrecked my dough too - had to drop hydration by 15%.

anna71710h ago

I mean, I get that humidity is a pain, but I don't think dropping hydration that much is always the answer. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like you're taking away too much of the dough's character when you drop it by 15 or 20 percent. Have you tried just working with a little more flour on your bench and in your hands instead? Like, keep the recipe the same but just adjust your handling technique so the dough isn't sticking to everything. Idk, I just think it's worth trying before you mess with the core ratios too much.

brooke_murray10h ago

Right! That Miami humidity is brutal on dough. Dropped mine by a full 20% last summer and it still felt like I was wrestling a wet sponge.