How much water do you use for homemade bread??

[PacificDogwood]

I've been baking my own bread for the last 6 years or so with a MorphyRichards bread maker. I started with Lidl bread mix and in the meantime have 'graduated' to making my own.

In principle, I always use 500g flour and 350mls water.
The flour varies a lot (I use wheat, strong and normal, rye, spelt in varying proportions) but I've always used 350mls of lukewarm water.

So, recently I must have done something wrong (I often put a bread on while making dinner and really rather distracted) in that the resulting 'dough' had the consistency of loose porridge instead of the usual firm ball of dough. I was rather worried.

But - the resulting bread was fabulous!

I've just done another one with 500g flour/400mls water and it was good too. I have no idea how much water was in the accidental loaf but wonder whether it might have been 500mls?

Anyway what is your flour/water ratio??

TIA if you got this far.

I have a Panasonic breadmaker, and ratio is 500 gm flour to 360 ml water

Depends on what manner of bread I want to make.
Wet dough can produce fantastic bread with big bubbles and a wonderful flavour. But for pizza base or a sandwich loaf I want a dough that forms a ball on the dough hook.

I use 600g flour and 400ml water
bread has a nice dense but fluffy texture.

Exactly the same as you. 500 to 350.

300ml water to 400g flour here

Do you add your water all in one go? I use approx 320ml of lukewarm water to 500g of flour. I put a sachet of yeast, the flour, a teaspoon of salt and 40ml olive oil in the food mixer with the dough hook. I let the ingredients mix before I add the water a bit at a time until the dough becomes a wet and smooth ball. The "wetter" the dough the better the bread. I measure the water but I don't use it all - it depends on the type of flour.

Oh, thank you all - v interesting.

I am so used to bunging all ingredients in with my eyes closed and one hand tied behind my back , that I never pay any attention to it really. I suppose that is one of the disadvantages of using a bread maker.

I will watch it a bit more from now on.

I think for that one particularly 'wet' bread it was 200g spelt and 300g Allison's strong white wheat + who knows HOW much water

I am quite tempted to experiment with a bit more water than usual.

Oh, and I have to add the water first for my bread maker, then all 'dry' ingredients on top.

350ml with 500g white bread flour but a bit more if it's brown flour/spelt/got bits in :)

our recipe is 310ml water, 20oz (apols for imperial switch), glug of olive oil, / scoop sea salt and a sachet of yeast.

I use a starter (sponge) first
1cup (200ml) water mixed with 1 cup flour (100g) and half a teaspoon dried active yeast (yellow tin) eat that mr hollywood

after about 8 ours mix starter dough with another cup of water, 500g flour, a tablespoon oil, half a teaspoon salt.

bake. works well in a breadmaker as well.

I use 60% water, so 600ml to a kilo of white flour. I add a bit more to brown flour because it needs it. I bake mine in the oven and use the dough hook on the mixer.