Vent: a bakery in Portland had a completely different way to handle sticky dough

I stopped by a small neighborhood bakery in Portland last Tuesday and watched the baker shape brioche with just a bowl of cold water and wet hands, no flour at all. I've been baking for about 4 years and always thought flour was the only option to keep stuff from sticking. He said the water trick keeps the crumb tighter and he's been doing it since his first job in a French patisserie. I tried it at home with my usual recipe and it honestly felt weird, but the dough behaved better and the final loaf had a softer crust. Has anyone else switched to wet hands over flour, or noticed a difference in texture depending on which method you use?

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