Sourdough Hydration Calculator

Dough hydration is the ratio of total water to total flour, expressed as a percentage. It determines the texture, crumb structure, and handling characteristics of your bread.

Formula

Hydration % = (Total Water ÷ Total Flour) × 100

When using a sourdough starter, its flour and water content must be accounted for. A 100% hydration starter contains equal parts flour and water by weight, so 100g of starter contributes 50g flour and 50g water.

For a starter at hydration H%:

• Starter flour = Starter weight ÷ (1 + H/100)
• Starter water = Starter weight − Starter flour

Hydration Ranges

• 50–57% — Stiff dough (bagels, pretzels)
• 58–65% — Standard dough (sandwich bread, rolls)
• 65–75% — Moderate hydration (classic sourdough)
• 75–85% — High hydration (ciabatta, open crumb)
• 85%+ — Very high hydration (focaccia, some ciabatta)

Baker's Percentages

Baker's percentages express each ingredient as a percentage of the total flour weight. This makes it easy to scale recipes regardless of batch size. Total flour is always 100%.