My sourdough density curve flipped after switching hydration at 6 weeks

I kept getting these brick loaves no matter how long I proofed, then I dropped from 75% to 68% hydration and suddenly the crumb opened up like a different bread. Has anyone else found that small hydration tweaks matter way more than batch size or kneading time?

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mark_thomas1mo ago

Same thing happened to me around week 5 or 6. I was stuck at 78% and my loaves were dense and gummy no matter what I did. Dropped to 70% and it was like night and day, open crumb, better rise, way easier to shape. I think the starter was still young and just couldn't handle that much water yet. It took another few weeks before I could go back up in hydration without ruining the bread. Now I keep it around 72% and it's my sweet spot, but I'm always ready to tweak it if the dough feels off.

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