One lesson regarding hydration was considering the feel or softness of ones ear Visiting Istanbul's great baker Gökhan Sokmen, he advised me to gauge hydration by the dough's softness, equating it with the texture of the touch of an earlobe. I remember him offering such coaching while baking pide (pita) shaped like small rolls. Over the years, his ear-based advice has stayed in my head. Recently it led to exceptional results, almost an epiphany. Here's some photos of the results, a special little bread (akin to a mini-focaccia) that started with feeling for hydration via the softeness of an ear.