How to control hydration? (was: Re: Bread With Holes)

How does someone control, or measure for that matter, the amount of 
hydration in their dough? I've always made the same recipe, but it 
lacked the wonderfully big holes that I'm used to with San Francisco 
Sourdough.

I definately want to give more hydration a try next time, but need some 
help understanding how to go abouts it. :-)

Robert
---------------------------------------

Ed Bechtel wrote:
> Several times a year I try to make bread with holes by using higher hydration. 
> Then I go back to 65 percent hydration for the rest of the year. 
>
> Sunday night I made a single loaf to give it the semi annual try.
> Dough weight: 19 ounces
> Hydration 72 to 74 percent
> Flour: Wheatmontana White
> Starter: 35% (Mr. Baker)
> Finish weight: 16.5 ounces
>
> Photos are shown.  Sorry no ambient daylight was available.
>
> Bread nearly done baking.
> http://members.aol.com/smoken1667/images/breadonstone.jpg
>
> Overall dimension.
> http://members.aol.com/smoken1667/images/breadlength.jpg
>
> Three slices, a third of the way from one end.
> http://members.aol.com/smoken1667/images/3slices2.jpg
>
> Same three slices on scanner (my wifeâs scanner).
> http://members.aol.com/smoken1667/images/3slices.jpg
>
>
> This is about as good is Iâve been able to attain for loaf size plus holes,
> and I fear this is the limit for [my] home baking capabilities. Any advice is
> welcome for obtaining a more distributed airiness to the bread, or simply more
> holes.
>
> Interestingly I find the loaf similar to photos shown at an older post May 8,
> 2002. I donât know how to hyperlink an old post.  To find the photos, I
> googled âprettycolors.comâ then picked the rfs post entitled âsteamâ.
>
> Ed