Dough Hydration Calculator

Baker's percentage: hydration = water / flour × 100

Baker's percentages measure every ingredient against the flour weight, which is always set at 100%. Of all of them, hydration (the water-to-flour ratio) does the most to shape the crumb, the crust, and how the dough behaves in your hands. Formula: hydration% = (water / flour) × 100. Example: 700 g water + 1000 g flour → 70% hydration. Typical ranges: standard white bread 60–65%, baguette ~70%, ciabatta 70–75%, sourdough 75–85%, focaccia 80–90%, Neapolitan pizza ~62%. Higher-protein flour (bread or strong flour, 12–14%) builds more gluten and can take more water; weaker flours (all-purpose, ~10%) go slack and sticky once you push past 70%. Wholegrain drinks up more water, so add 5–10 percentage points and let the dough rest (autolyse) long enough for the bran to soak it in.

Applications

Artisan baking (sourdough, ciabatta, focaccia with an open crumb), pizzerias keeping their dough consistent batch after batch, commercial bakeries scaling formulas up or down, and Brazilian classics. The pão francês, for instance, runs as a low-hydration dough (50–55%) with a thin, crisp crust, much drier than the European country breads.

FAQ

Does higher hydration always mean a better bread? No. Wetter dough gives you the open, irregular crumb of a ciabatta or sourdough, but it also asks for stronger flour, a gentler touch, and more experience. Sandwich breads stay drier on purpose so the crumb comes out tight.

Do I include levain water in the count? Yes. For the total hydration of the dough, add up all the water (the starter's included) and divide by all the flour (the starter's flour included too).

What if the dough is too sticky? Drop the hydration by 2–5 points, move to a higher-protein flour, or stretch out the bulk fermentation with a few rounds of stretch-and-fold to build up the gluten.