To add a small amount of liquid to a dry or dryish mixture to soften it, improve its texture, or add flavour. Cooks moisten stuffings with stock, cakes with syrup, and dry meat with gravy or juices. The key is restraint: enough liquid to achieve the desired softness and cohesion without making the mixture soggy. In baking, moistening dry ingredients evenly prevents pockets of flour in the finished product. The technique appears across cuisines, from moistening couscous with broth to sprinkling water on bread dough before baking for a crisper crust. Judgement and tasting guide how much liquid is enough.