If sticky, slack, high-hydration dough has ever made you second-guess yourself at the bench, this one is for you. In this new post, I break down: - Why wet dough feels wrong even when it's right - The 7 reasons beginners get spooked by high hydration - Simple handling shifts (coil folds, bench rest, wet hands) that change everything - How to read the dough instead of fighting it High hydration isn't harder, it's just different. Once it clicks, you'll never go back to stiff, tight doughs again. 👉 Read it here: https://bakinggreatbread.blog/2026/04/22/high-hydration-bread-wet-dough-beginners/ Drop your wet-dough wins (or horror stories) in the comments. Let's talk about it. — Henry ⭐🔥

Just dropped. Come watch with me. I'll be in the chat answering questions in real time. This one takes the fear out of the number on the recipe card. If you've ever stared at an 80% hydration dough and wondered what you got yourself into, this is for you. See you in the chat. ~ Henry ⭐🔥

A lot of you came from Facebook. I run Baking Great Bread at Home over there, 40,000+ members, and I love that community. But I want to be honest about something. On Facebook, you often get one of two things: criticism without substance or compliments without critique. Someone posts a loaf and the comments are either "Beautiful!" when there's clearly something going on, or unhelpful jabs that don't teach you anything. People mean well. They're trying to be kind. But kindness without honesty doesn't make you a better baker. This is a different place. Crust & Crumb Academy is exactly that: an academy. This is where you come to hone your skills and get better. That means when you ask for feedback, you're going to get it. Real feedback. Specific feedback. The kind that actually helps you improve. I'll always be kind. I'll always be encouraging. But you're not going to get empty platitudes from me. If I see something in your crumb, your shaping, your scoring, I'm going to tell you what it is and how to fix it. That's what coaches do. And I want you to do the same for each other. When someone posts a bake and asks for critique, give them something useful. Tell them what you see. Ask questions. Share what's worked for you. That's how we all get better. This is a teaching environment. We're not here to collect compliments. We're here to make better bakers. Perfection is not required. But growth is the goal. Let's get to work. ~Henry