What Is Sourdough Hydration?
Hydration in bread baking refers to the ratio of water to flour, expressed as a percentage. A 75% hydration dough contains 75 grams of water for every 100 grams of flour. Understanding hydration is key to controlling your sourdough's texture, crust, and crumb structure.
Hydration % = (Total Water ÷ Total Flour) × 100
Common levels:
65% = Sandwich bread, tight crumb
72-75% = Standard artisan sourdough
80%+ = Open crumb, ciabatta-style
Accounting for Starter
Your sourdough starter contains both flour and water (typically at 100% hydration, meaning equal parts by weight). When calculating total dough hydration, you must include the flour and water from the starter.
Hydration Levels Guide
- 60-65%: Stiff dough, easy to handle, tight crumb
- 68-72%: Moderate hydration, good all-around
- 72-78%: Standard artisan, open crumb, crusty
- 80%+: Very wet, large holes, requires experience
How to Use
Enter your flour weight, water weight, and starter amount. The calculator accounts for the starter's flour and water content to show true overall hydration.
Baker's Tips
Higher hydration creates more open crumb but is harder to handle. Start at 72% and work up as your skills improve. Use a kitchen scale for accuracy — volume measurements are unreliable for bread baking.
Flour Type Matters
Whole wheat and rye absorb more water than white flour. You may need to increase hydration by 5-10% when using significant amounts of whole grain flour.