How Much Water Should Go Into Fresh Milled Bread Dough?

If you’re coming from baking with bagged flour, this part can feel uncomfortable at first — and that’s okay.

Most bread recipes written for commercial flour live in the 60–80% hydration range. When people switch to fresh milled flour, they often try to stay in that same zone… and end up with dough that feels stiff, tears easily, and never quite becomes what they hoped it would be.

Here’s the missing piece:

Fresh milled flour absorbs significantly more water than bagged flour.

Once you understand that, everything else starts to make sense.

Bagged Flour Hydration vs Fresh Milled Flour Hydration

Commercial all-purpose and bread flour typically absorb water at around 68% of the flour’s weight.

Fresh milled flour is different.

Because it still contains:

• the bran

• the germ

• intact starches

…it continues absorbing water long after mixing begins.

In practical terms, that means:

• Fresh milled hard wheat absorbs ~17% more water

• Fresh milled soft wheat absorbs ~7% more water

So when you adjust for absorption, the numbers line up like this:

That’s not “high hydration for the sake of it.”

That’s equivalent hydration.

Why Most Bakers Never Discover This

Two things usually get in the way:

1. Water isn’t adjusted enough

People often add “a splash more water” instead of accounting for absorption. The dough still looks dry — because it is dry.

2. Kneading stops too soon

Fresh milled dough takes longer to organize itself. Bran needs time to hydrate. Gluten needs time to align. If you stop early, you never see what the dough could become.

Hydration and kneading work together. You can’t fix one without the other.

What High-Hydration Fresh Milled Dough Actually Does

At first, a properly hydrated fresh-milled dough doesn’t look like dough.

It looks:

• loose

• glossy

• almost batter-like

This is normal.

And here’s the important part most people miss:

That extra water changes how kneading works.

Why You Can (and Should) Increase Mixer Speed

With higher hydration, fresh-milled dough behaves less like a stiff mass and more like something being aerated — similar to whipping eggs before they firm up.

That extra liquid:

• reduces friction

• protects gluten strands

• allows faster alignment

So instead of babying the mixer, you can often:

• start on low to combine

• then increase speed sooner than you would with stiff dough

You’re not tearing gluten — you’re helping it organize.

As the dough develops:

• it tightens

• it pulls away from the bowl

• it gains elasticity and strength

This transformation is one of the most satisfying moments in fresh milling — and it doesn’t happen at low hydration.

Mixer Matters: When You Can Skip a Rest (and When You Can’t)

I often skip a dough rest entirely — but only when the mixer can truly handle high-hydration fresh-milled dough without overheating it.

When a Rest Is Optional

If you’re using a top-mounted motor mixer with enough power and torque, you can often develop gluten fully by increasing speed instead of resting.

These mixers handle high hydration exceptionally well:

• KitchenAid Professional series

• Zacme 7.4 or 8.4 quart mixers

• Kenwood Titanium Major

• Vintage Sunbeam Mixmaster (rotating bowl models with true dough hooks)

With these machines, I’ll often:

• mix to combine

• increase speed confidently

• knead for several minutes straight

• achieve a strong windowpane without a rest

The extra liquid keeps the dough cool and fluid while gluten aligns quickly.

A Quick Word on Mixer Performance

So far, the fastest and cleanest path to a beautiful windowpane I’ve seen — hands down — is with the Zacme 7.4 or 8.4 quart mixers. The combination of power, speed, and dough control is unmatched.

As for ultra-premium, plastic-heavy mixers sold at luxury prices?
I’ll pass. I’m not paying top dollar for a strong motor wrapped in weak parts.

The Takeaway

• High hydration + fresh milled flour changes everything

• Strong mixers can replace rest with speed

• Bottom-motor mixers need cold ingredients and rest

• Dough development is about heat control, not just time

When hydration, mixer choice, and technique align, fresh milled dough stops being unpredictable — and starts behaving like it finally understands what you’re asking it to do.

And yes…
everything really is better when you Just Mill It.