Sourdough · Calculator

Sourdough Hydration Calculator

Use this dough calculator to set total weight and hydration — get the exact flour and water split for your loaf, live, down to the gram.

Start calculating Read the guide
Bread flour on a kitchen scale beside a jug of water and a bowl of freshly mixed dough

How to use this calculator

Choose how much dough you want and its hydration. The calculator gives you the flour and water for that base mix.

  1. 1

    Set the total weight. Enter your target dough weight in grams or choose a preset.

  2. 2

    Choose the hydration. Move the slider between 50% and 100%, or select a preset.

  3. 3

    Read your amounts. Weigh the flour and water shown, then use the mixing instructions below the result.

The total here is flour plus water. Add salt, starter and other ingredients separately when building the full recipe.

Live calculator · updates as you type

Your formula

g
75%
75
Everyday artisan Open crumb with manageable, extensible dough.

Your ingredients

Flour 514g
Water 386g
Flour 57% Water 43%
Baker's ratio 100 : 75

Treats dough as flour + water. Add salt, starter, and inclusions separately when building the full recipe.

See your 3 mixing steps

What to do next

Mix this dough in 3 steps

For 900 g of dough at 75% hydration.

  1. 1

    Weigh flour and water

    2 min

    Weigh 514 g of flour and 386 g of water for 900 g at 75%.

  2. 2

    Hold some water back

    When mixing

    Keep 19 g aside and add it only if the dough feels stiff.

  3. 3

    Handle for the hydration

    Bulk

    Everyday artisan: Open crumb with manageable, extensible dough.

Free printable

Keep this batch on one page

A batch card made from your numbers, to save as a PDF or receive by email:

  • Your weights in big type
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  • Mix, shape and bake times
  • A bake log for temperature and rise

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New · Featured tool

Sourdough Starter Manager

Log each feed, watch your starter rise in a 3D jar and record when it peaks. After two feeds it learns your own starter’s timing, so you know when it will be ready.

  • See the rise against the clock
  • Learns your starter’s peak time
  • Free, no account needed
Open the starter manager

Baker's percentage guide

Read the numbers before you mix

Hydration changes dough feel, fermentation speed, shaping, and crumb. Use the calculator for the exact weights — then use these ranges to decide whether that number suits the bread you want.

Baker's percentage

100 : 75

Flour 100%
Water 75%

Flour is always the anchor at 100%. Every other ingredient is weighed against it.

How we calculate: Sourdough methods

Choose a hydration level for your dough

Use these ranges to choose a starting percentage for the calculator.

  • Beginner range

    65–70%

    Firm enough to shape, still soft enough for a tender crumb.

  • Everyday artisan

    72–78%

    A flexible range for bread flour, open crumb, and confident handling.

  • High hydration

    80%+

    More extensible and open, but much less forgiving during shaping.

Calculate hydration from flour and water

hydration (%) = (water ÷ flour) × 100

Worked example

(375 g ÷ 500 g) × 100 = 75%

Flour stays at 100%; every other ingredient is measured against it.

The formula behind the calculator

To split a target dough weight into flour and water, use these equations:

flour (g) = total weight ÷ (1 + hydration ÷ 100)
water (g) = total weight − flour weight

For a 900g mix at 75% hydration:

flour = 900 ÷ 1.75 ≈ 514 g
water = 900 − 514  = 386 g
ratio = 100 : 75

The result’s ratio bar shows this split: the water portion grows as hydration increases.

Check your amounts with worked examples

Compare the amount you need with these examples. Each row shows the result and how to calculate it.

ResultInputs and calculation
350g waterWith 500g flour at 70% hydration: 500 × 0.70 = 350g water. At 2% of flour weight, salt would be 10g.
514g flour + 386g waterFor a 900g mix at 75% hydration: 900 ÷ 1.75 ≈ 514g flour. Subtract that from 900g to get 386g water.
50g flour + 50g waterA 100g starter at 100% hydration contains equal weights of flour and water. Count both when calculating your full dough.

What sourdough hydration means

Hydration is a baker's percentage. Instead of describing water as a percentage of the whole dough, bakers describe water as a percentage of flour weight. Flour is always 100%. If a dough has 500g of flour and 350g of water, hydration is 70% — because 350 is 70% of 500.

This is useful because flour is the anchor of a bread formula. Salt might be 2%, starter 15–25%, water 65–85% — but every number refers back to flour. Once you read baker's percentages, recipes become much easier to scale.

Some recipes and research papers use dough yield (DY) instead: flour plus water, divided by flour, times 100. So 100% hydration is DY 200 and 60% hydration is DY 160.

Choosing the right hydration level

There is no single best hydration for every loaf. The right number depends on your flour, temperature, shaping confidence, schedule, and the style of bread you want. Lower-hydration doughs are stronger, easier to handle, and more predictable.

For a first loaf, 65–70% is a friendly range. Around 72–78% is a common artisan zone, especially with bread flour. Above 80% you're in high-hydration territory: great for open crumb, focaccia, and ciabatta, but much less forgiving during shaping.

How flour changes hydration

Flour absorption matters as much as the percentage itself. Strong bread flour usually takes more water than soft all-purpose. Whole wheat, spelt, and rye bring bran, germ, and different starch behaviour, so they often need more water or a longer rest.

Hold back 20–30g of water if you're unsure. Mix the dough, judge the feel after a short rest, and add the reserved water only if the flour can take it.

Accounting for starter in a full dough

Sourdough starter contains flour and water, so it contributes to the final hydration. A 100% hydration starter is equal parts flour and water by weight — add 100g of it and you're adding 50g of flour and 50g of water.

If your target needs 500g flour and 375g water, and you add 100g of 100% starter, the starter already brings 50g flour and 50g water — so your final mix adds 450g fresh flour and 325g fresh water.

What hydration does to dough handling

Hydration changes the feel of dough from the first mix to the final score. At lower hydration, dough resists stretching and can be shaped with dry hands. At moderate hydration, it becomes extensible and benefits from stretch and folds or coil folds.

If dough feels unworkable, the answer isn't always less water. Sometimes it needs more gluten development, more rest, or less fermentation. Use the calculator to choose the formula, then let dough feel, rise, bubbles, and timing guide the ferment.

Reference

Common hydration ranges

50–60% Very firm dough for bagels, pretzels, and stiff bread styles.
60–70% Beginner-friendly sourdough, sandwich loaves, and easier shaping.
70–80% Common artisan range with more extensibility and a lighter crumb.
80–90% Wet dough for open crumb, focaccia, ciabatta, and confident handling.
90–100% Extremely wet dough that usually needs strong flour, folds, and support.

FAQ

Sourdough Hydration Calculator questions

What does 75% hydration mean in sourdough?
A 75% hydration sourdough has 75 grams of water for every 100 grams of flour. For example, 500 grams of flour at 75% hydration uses 375 grams of water.
What hydration is best for beginner sourdough?
Most beginners do best around 65-70% hydration because the dough is easier to mix, stretch, shape, and score. Once handling feels comfortable, move toward 72-78%.
Does sourdough starter count as water and flour?
Yes. Starter contributes both flour and water to the final dough. This calculator gives the base flour and water split from total dough weight; account for starter separately when writing a complete formula.
Why is my high hydration dough so sticky?
Higher hydration leaves more free water in the dough, so gluten needs more time and gentler handling. Strong flour, autolyse, stretch and folds, and wet hands all help.
Can I convert any bread recipe to a different hydration?
Yes. Keep flour as 100%, choose the new hydration percentage, and recalculate the water. Make small changes at first because fermentation speed, shaping, and crumb all change with hydration.
How do I calculate sourdough hydration percentage?
Divide total water by total flour and multiply by 100. For 500g flour and 375g water: 375 ÷ 500 × 100 = 75% hydration. If your starter is 100% hydration, remember it adds equal flour and water — count both halves toward your totals for an accurate overall figure. This calculator does the split for you from a target dough weight.
What hydration gives the most open crumb?
A wildly open, holey crumb usually comes from 75–85% hydration, but that dough is slack and demands good technique — strong flour, thorough gluten development, and confident handling. Most home bakers get the best balance of openness and control at 72–78%. Hydration alone won't open the crumb; fermentation, shaping, and a hot Dutch oven matter just as much.
Do whole wheat and rye flour need more water?
Yes. Whole grains absorb more water than white flour because of the bran and germ, so a dough that feels right at 70% with white flour often needs 75% or more when it's heavily whole wheat or rye. Add about 5% hydration for a mostly whole-grain dough, and let it rest (autolyse) so the bran can fully hydrate before you judge the feel.
What hydration should I use for a sandwich loaf?
For a soft, sliceable sandwich loaf, stay lower — around 62–68% hydration. A stiffer dough is easier to shape into a tight sandwich shape, holds up in a loaf tin, and gives the tighter, even crumb you want for sandwiches rather than the open holes of a rustic boule.

Finish the rest of the bake

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