# Why Don’t Homemade Pastries Turn Out Like the Bakery’s?

> The main difference is **hydration** — bakeries use a much softer dough than home bakers do. A dough that gives a light, airy texture has a hydration of **60–65%** (600–650 ml of liquid per kilo of flour), and it looks a little sticky, which is normal.

**4 min read**

Same ingredients, same steps — and yet at home the result comes out heavier and drier than the bakery’s. The difference isn’t some hidden secret — it comes down to four numbers.

## Number 1: Hydration

This is the most important difference, and the one most often ignored.

**Hydration** = weight of liquid ÷ weight of flour.

  - **A typical home dough:** 50–55% — firm and easy to handle, but the result is heavier.
  - **Bakery dough:** **60–68%** — soft and slightly sticky, and the result is much lighter.

**Why:** the extra water turns to steam in the oven, and the steam is what puffs up the dough and creates the holes in the crumb.

**The problem:** soft dough sticks to your hands, so people add flour — and that takes them straight back to square one.

**The fix:** **oiled hands** instead of flour, an oiled surface, and a longer rest for the dough.

## Number 2: Flour strength

Light, airy pastries need flour with **11–13%** protein.

Weak flour doesn’t build a gluten network strong enough to hold the steam, so the dough rises and then collapses.

**In Egypt:** the premium 72% extraction flour usually has a medium protein content — if you can find “strong” or “pizza” flour, use it.

## Number 3: Oven temperature

Bakeries work at **250–300°C**, while home ovens top out at 250°C.

**High heat** creates “oven spring” — steam forms suddenly and puffs up the dough before the crust sets.

**A lukewarm oven** makes the dough dry out slowly instead of puffing up.

**The fix:** preheat the oven at its **highest temperature** for a full 25 minutes, and heat the baking tray or a stone along with it.

## Number 4: Steam in the oven

This is the secret to a thin crust that crackles instead of turning into a thick, leathery skin.

**Steam delays crust formation**, so the dough has time to rise before it is sealed in.

**At home:** put an empty metal tray on the bottom of the oven from the start, and as soon as the pastries go in, **pour a cup of hot water** into it and shut the door quickly.

After **10 minutes**, take the tray out so the crust can dry and brown.

## Proving: time is not the measure

Recipes say “an hour”, but that is only an estimate.

**The measure is volume:** the dough should reach **double its size** in the first prove.

**The second prove** (after shaping) is essential, and most people skip it — shaped dough needs a **30–45 minute** rest before it goes in the oven.

**The finger test:** press the dough with your finger — if the dent springs back slowly and leaves a slight mark, it is ready.

## Fat: where and when

  - **Oil in the dough** softens it and keeps the pastries fresh for longer — **60–80 ml per kilo of flour**.
  - **Butter** gives a richer flavour but shortens the gluten network — it suits soft pastries, not chewy ones.
  - **Add the fat after the gluten has formed** — that is, knead the flour, water and yeast for 5 minutes first, then add the fat. Fat added at the start coats the flour and prevents gluten forming.

## Glazing the top

This decides the final colour and texture:

  - **Whole egg:** a golden-brown colour and a strong shine.
  - **Yolk + a spoonful of milk:** the darkest colour and the strongest shine.
  - **White only:** shine without colour — for pastries you want to keep pale.
  - **Milk:** a gentle colour and a soft crust.
  - **Melted butter after baking:** a soft crust, shine and flavour.

## Sugar and milk in sweet dough

Sweet doughs (Egyptian ka’ak, brioche and doughnuts) follow different rules:

  - **Sugar slows the yeast down** — use more yeast or allow more time.
  - **Milk instead of water** gives a softer crust and a deeper colour.
  - **Eggs** add richness and colour, and strengthen the structure.
  - **Proving takes longer** — expect double the time of an ordinary dough.

## Why pastries go hard the next day

The cause is **starch retrogradation** — after baking, the starch recrystallises and pushes out water.

**It speeds up in the fridge** — pastries kept in the fridge go hard 6 times faster.

**The fixes:**

  - **Fat in the dough** slows retrogradation down.
  - **Storing them in an airtight container on the worktop**, not in the fridge.
  - **The freezer** for long-term storage — it stops retrogradation completely.
  - **Reheating** reverses retrogradation for a while — 5 minutes in a 160°C oven.

## Kneading: how long and how

Kneading isn’t mixing — it is **building the gluten network**, and it takes longer than most people give it.

**By hand:** 10–15 minutes of continuous kneading with a push-and-fold motion.

**With a dough mixer:** 8–10 minutes on medium speed.

**The windowpane test** settles it: stretch a piece of dough between your fingers — if it stretches into a thin, **translucent** membrane you can see light through without it tearing, it has been kneaded enough.

**Under-kneading** gives dense pastries that crumble, while over-kneading (only with a mixer, never by hand) breaks the network and leaves the dough tacky and slack.

## Cold-proving pastries

The same trick used for pizza works here: **prove the dough in the fridge for 12–24 hours** instead of an hour on the worktop.

The cold slows down gas production but **doesn’t stop the enzymes** that break starch down into sugars and aromatic compounds.

**The result:** a much deeper flavour, a crust that browns better, and dough that is easier to shape.

**Halve the yeast** if you do this, and take the dough out an hour before shaping so it can warm up.

## Summary

60–65% hydration and oiled hands instead of flour, flour with 11%+ protein, an oven preheated at its highest setting for 25 minutes, steam for the first 10 minutes, and a second prove after shaping.

## FAQ

### Why are homemade pastries heavier than the bakery’s?
Hydration. Home dough is usually 50–55% liquid, while bakeries use 60–68%. The extra water turns to steam in the oven, and that is what puffs up the dough — but soft dough is sticky, so people add flour and end up back at square one.

### The dough sticks to my hands — what should I do?
Oil your hands and the work surface instead of sprinkling flour. Extra flour lowers the hydration and makes the result heavier — which is exactly what we are trying to avoid.

### How do I create steam in a home oven?
Put an empty metal tray on the bottom of the oven when you start preheating, and as soon as the pastries go in, pour a cup of hot water into it and shut the door quickly. After 10 minutes, take the tray out so the crust can brown.

### Why do pastries go hard the next day?
Starch retrogradation — the starch recrystallises after baking and pushes out water. It happens 6 times faster in the fridge, so store them in an airtight container on the worktop or in the freezer, and reheat them for 5 minutes in a 160°C oven.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/article/why-homemade-pastries-are-not-like-the-bakery
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-10-24