I'm exclusively a roller/scraper user. As for speeds, you should be cautious when adding water, but once it is in the mixer and starting to incorporate, you can really crank it up to get it to combine. Maybe 50% on the dial, lowering it as it starts to even out. (I am also working on a "how to Ank" post for someday.)
I don’t use the dough hook either. What (in your opinion) is a use case for the hook? Thanks for those tips and I’d love to see a how to Ank post sometime!
Crank it up. Start slow, until there isn't actual water pooled in the bowl, then crank that sucker up to 3 and then to 6 o'clock. Move the roller detent position until the dough is passing comfortably but still noticeably pushing against the roller. Monitor this. This is one reason I use ice water. I use the Ank at a pretty high speed on occasion.
I’ve been wanting to learn more about Bassinage. Thanks for this post. I’ll try it in my Ank as I’ve been mixing only by hand. My perception was that by hand it was more gentle. So much to learn. You and your followers make my baking adventure more fun.
Great article and insights. One doesn't come across such knowledgeable and clear writing on bread often.
I'd like to stress the benefits of autolysis combined with bassinage as a low-impact method to develop high hydration doughs in a mixer.
A first mix of the dough at a conservative hydration rate (65% - 70% works well with most spirals) followed by 30 minutes of autolysis and a final mix where the remaining water is added. This prevents excessive heating / oxydation of the dough while having a gluten that is ready to take the extra water. I bake in a professional capacity, and many of our high hydration doughs are mixed like this. Readers using planetary mixers, for the reasons you discuss in your article, are prime candidates to use this method.
thank you! I agree, and I think the benefits of autolyse for modern bakers are less about building strength/extensibility than giving time for the flour to hydrate. Doughs are noticeably more smooth after a short one, even with white flours, and those with whole-grain flours even more so (though they need more time).
Is there any specific weight distribution you'd recommend?
Take the basic-ass Tartine country bread recipe as an example. recipe calls for 375g water (75% hydration) for 500 flour.
So you'd say add 300 (60%) to the first mix, with the starter/leaven and without salt (hence autolyze stage), then add the remaining 75 with the salt after 30 minutes?
I didn't get into specifics here because every flour is different, but for white flours, I'd aim for 66-70% for the initial mix, then the remainder for the bassinage. If the dough seems stiff during the mix, just add a little more from the bassinage water. (I usually just weigh each separately, but pull from the second water as needed.)
Thanks Andrew! As this is the first time I ever heard the concept, and understand all flour is different... but just to confirm.. 66-70% HYDRATION or 66-70% of the total water?
eg in a dough with 500g flour/375g water are you dividing into 225g and 150g or into 300g/75g? Thanks!
sorry, yes, the former. The point is to get the mixed dough into the right range of hydration, which for most white flours is 66-70%. That translates to 90% of the total water, but I never think along those lines. I just subtract the "ideal" hydration for mixing from the total, saving the remainder for the bassinage.
If it was a whole-wheat flour, I might aim for 80% hydration in the mix, and hi-X, ~75%. But you can also just weigh out the total amount of water, add as much as necessary to the flour to get a workable, but firm dough, and then whatever is left over gets used in the bassinage.
I wish I had read your newsletter earlier today, could have used it on the dough I just panned! I have made recipes that use the technique before and learned a little about it (some the hard way like how you mention not to just dump all the second water in at once) but this in-depth article was very informative. Will this piece (or some version of it) find its way into your book?
I probably should have mentioned that, but, while true, you can only nudge it up or down by 1˚C (~3˚F), so it’s not really the primary reason one would use it.
I think your newsletter is brilliant as it is but I adore your headlines! Bath time is brilliant for a post about bassinage! A technique I only learned about a few years into sourdough bread baking but a genius one!
Andrew, thanks this is a great explanation. I was always wondering why to do a bassinage. I have also seen many times about adding the salt with the 2 nd water. Can you explain the reason for that?
It's common to reserve the salt and add it with a little water to help, once the dough is well hydrated. And THEN you would/can still add the second water closer to the end of mix.
Any tips on settings on Ankarsrum for adding second water (speed and hook vs roller)?
I'm exclusively a roller/scraper user. As for speeds, you should be cautious when adding water, but once it is in the mixer and starting to incorporate, you can really crank it up to get it to combine. Maybe 50% on the dial, lowering it as it starts to even out. (I am also working on a "how to Ank" post for someday.)
I don’t use the dough hook either. What (in your opinion) is a use case for the hook? Thanks for those tips and I’d love to see a how to Ank post sometime!
Crank it up. Start slow, until there isn't actual water pooled in the bowl, then crank that sucker up to 3 and then to 6 o'clock. Move the roller detent position until the dough is passing comfortably but still noticeably pushing against the roller. Monitor this. This is one reason I use ice water. I use the Ank at a pretty high speed on occasion.
I use bassinage all the time with ciabatta and pan pizza dough. Nice explanation. Works well with 100%whole grain doughs too.
I’ve been wanting to learn more about Bassinage. Thanks for this post. I’ll try it in my Ank as I’ve been mixing only by hand. My perception was that by hand it was more gentle. So much to learn. You and your followers make my baking adventure more fun.
"Gentle" is not a good thing in the early stages.
Great article and insights. One doesn't come across such knowledgeable and clear writing on bread often.
I'd like to stress the benefits of autolysis combined with bassinage as a low-impact method to develop high hydration doughs in a mixer.
A first mix of the dough at a conservative hydration rate (65% - 70% works well with most spirals) followed by 30 minutes of autolysis and a final mix where the remaining water is added. This prevents excessive heating / oxydation of the dough while having a gluten that is ready to take the extra water. I bake in a professional capacity, and many of our high hydration doughs are mixed like this. Readers using planetary mixers, for the reasons you discuss in your article, are prime candidates to use this method.
thank you! I agree, and I think the benefits of autolyse for modern bakers are less about building strength/extensibility than giving time for the flour to hydrate. Doughs are noticeably more smooth after a short one, even with white flours, and those with whole-grain flours even more so (though they need more time).
Is there any specific weight distribution you'd recommend?
Take the basic-ass Tartine country bread recipe as an example. recipe calls for 375g water (75% hydration) for 500 flour.
So you'd say add 300 (60%) to the first mix, with the starter/leaven and without salt (hence autolyze stage), then add the remaining 75 with the salt after 30 minutes?
Any other changes to incorporate?
I didn't get into specifics here because every flour is different, but for white flours, I'd aim for 66-70% for the initial mix, then the remainder for the bassinage. If the dough seems stiff during the mix, just add a little more from the bassinage water. (I usually just weigh each separately, but pull from the second water as needed.)
Thanks Andrew! As this is the first time I ever heard the concept, and understand all flour is different... but just to confirm.. 66-70% HYDRATION or 66-70% of the total water?
eg in a dough with 500g flour/375g water are you dividing into 225g and 150g or into 300g/75g? Thanks!
sorry, yes, the former. The point is to get the mixed dough into the right range of hydration, which for most white flours is 66-70%. That translates to 90% of the total water, but I never think along those lines. I just subtract the "ideal" hydration for mixing from the total, saving the remainder for the bassinage.
If it was a whole-wheat flour, I might aim for 80% hydration in the mix, and hi-X, ~75%. But you can also just weigh out the total amount of water, add as much as necessary to the flour to get a workable, but firm dough, and then whatever is left over gets used in the bassinage.
awesome thank you will try this with my next loaf.
I wish I had read your newsletter earlier today, could have used it on the dough I just panned! I have made recipes that use the technique before and learned a little about it (some the hard way like how you mention not to just dump all the second water in at once) but this in-depth article was very informative. Will this piece (or some version of it) find its way into your book?
One of the important reasons for bassinage is it allows temperature adjustments during mix. This is one of the primary reasons for it in France
I probably should have mentioned that, but, while true, you can only nudge it up or down by 1˚C (~3˚F), so it’s not really the primary reason one would use it.
I think your newsletter is brilliant as it is but I adore your headlines! Bath time is brilliant for a post about bassinage! A technique I only learned about a few years into sourdough bread baking but a genius one!
Andrew, thanks this is a great explanation. I was always wondering why to do a bassinage. I have also seen many times about adding the salt with the 2 nd water. Can you explain the reason for that?
It's common to reserve the salt and add it with a little water to help, once the dough is well hydrated. And THEN you would/can still add the second water closer to the end of mix.