Baker John Morton has discovered the WAFT factor—a ratio that captures
how the temperatures of water, air and flour interact to produce perfect cakes
and loaves. The temperatures of the flour and air are subtracted from the WAFT
factor to find the ideal temperature for the water. Pizza base has a WAFT of 80.
If the air is at 25 °C and the flour at 30 °C, then the water should be
at 25 °C for ideal yeast growing conditions.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Technology
US government wants to have a useful quantum computer by 2028
News
Life
Childbirth for many primate species is even harder than for humans
News
Humans
Humans sleep the least of all apes – is it the secret to our success?
Features
ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû1000¼¯ºÏ
Your menstrual cycle may affect how well vaccines work
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
2
Humans sleep the least of all apes – is it the secret to our success?
3
We’ve uncovered a master gene that switches on human development
4
Our verdict on The Selfish Gene: An unpopular piece of popular science
5
Remote-controlled cockroach swarm can now breathe underwater
6
US government wants to have a useful quantum computer by 2028
7
Europe’s heatwave is the hottest and most humid ever
8
Fully autonomous drones have killed human soldiers for the first time
9
The race to understand how and when Thwaites glacier will collapse
10
The best sci-fi novel in 2026 so far – plus 6 other great reads
