You need to make sure the water's at the right temperature (probably 20°C)
or the volume reading won't correspond to the correct quantity of water. It's the mass of water which is important, but because it's a liquid it's more convenient to measure it in terms of volume.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 10 Sep 2010, 12:42, 3 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

The volume difference between water at 10 degrees and 20 degrees when you're talking about about 50ml
is totally insignificant. And you know it.
(Bazongaloid, Fri 10 Sep 2010, 12:45, Reply)

SCIENCE REBEL!

(PenguinOfDeath is Scottish, and most likely angry, Fri 10 Sep 2010, 12:48, Reply)

Yup!
This is the case.

But a kitchen scale is pretty inaccurate too, usually with a resolution of only 5g. So if you need say 25ml of water, you can easily get an error of 20%. A measuring spoon will beat that hands down.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 10 Sep 2010, 12:49, Reply)

Sorry, but for dough, it's the volume that matters not the mass.
It's effectively a colloid suspension of flour in water, so it's the size not the number of molecules that affect the consistency, which is what affects how the loaf cooks

/feels science dirty.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Fri 10 Sep 2010, 12:51, Reply)

The volume of the flour, maybe
but not the water.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 10 Sep 2010, 12:53, Reply)

Yep, the water. It's the number of particles of flour
in the overall volume that gives you the consistency.

/Edit, strictly it's a effect of the release of starch which generates partial non-newtonian behaviour in the dough under kneading, so strictly it's a relationship between the amount of starch present in volumetric space. Water molecules have limited impact on the whole thing except to contribute "shape" through H-bonding, it's the branched long C-chains of starch "catching" on each other like little bits of velcro that give you the dough.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Fri 10 Sep 2010, 12:55, Reply)

But the volume of water
is a small fraction of the volume of the dough. It's hardly a colloidal suspension in the usual sense.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 10 Sep 2010, 12:57, Reply)

True
but the number of water molecules is irrelevant, only the "space" they create for the dough to occupy. See edit above. This is also getting far too serious ;)
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Fri 10 Sep 2010, 13:02, Reply)

Ah, so you're talking surface sites and hydrogen bonding then
Much clearer now!
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 10 Sep 2010, 13:05, Reply)

no it's not ... ;)

( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Fri 10 Sep 2010, 13:57, Reply)

Thanks Grandpa

( TGB checking Off Topic is still shit at, Fri 10 Sep 2010, 12:54, Reply)

*gives sloppy toothless kiss*

( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 10 Sep 2010, 13:00, Reply)