Sourdough Hydration & Recipe Calculator
70%
Baker's Formula Output
860 g Total Dough
Main Flour:
500 g
Water (70%):
350 g
Active Starter (20%):
100 g
Fine Sea Salt (2%):
10 g
What is Baker's Hydration & True Total Hydration?
In professional baking, all ingredient amounts are calculated as a percentage of the total flour weight, which is always 100%. When a baker refers to a 70% hydration dough, it means there are 70 grams of water for every 100 grams of flour.
True Total Hydration goes a step deeper: standard artisan sourdough starter is fed equal parts flour and water (100% hydration). If you add 100g of starter to 500g of flour and 350g of water, your starter contributes an extra 50g of flour and 50g of water. The true hydration is actually 400g Water ÷ 550g Flour = 72.7%. This calculator automatically computes both for maximum oven predictability.
How to Use This Sourdough Calculator
- Enter Main Flour: Input your single-loaf flour weight (typically 450g to 500g for a standard Dutch oven boule).
- Choose Loaf Count: Scale your batch instantly to bake 1, 2, 3, or 4 loaves simultaneously.
- Adjust Hydration Slider: Slide between 65% (stiffer, easy handling) to 80%+ (custardy open crumb).
- Fine-Tune Starter & Salt: Keep starter at 20% and salt at 2% for classic European sourdough.
Sourdough Hydration Behavior Reference Dough Matrix
| Hydration % | Crumb Characteristics | Dough Handling Level | Recommended Flour Blend | Ideal Bread Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60% - 65% | Tight, uniform, sandwich crumb | Very easy; holds shape effortlessly | All-Purpose or Bread Flour | Sandwich Loaves, Bagels, Pretzels |
| 66% - 72% | Medium open aeration, lofty ear | Moderate; beginner to intermediate | Strong Bread Flour + 10% Whole Wheat | Classic Artisan Boules & Batards |
| 73% - 78% | Wild, open, custardy gelatinized crumb | Tacky; requires coil folds & quick shaping | High-Protein (>12.5%) Bread Flour | Open-Crumb Country Sourdough |
| 79% - 85%+ | Honeycomb, translucent hole structure | Very slack; requires wet hands & bench knife | Stoneground Artisan, Spelt, Rye blends | Ciabatta, Pan de Cristal, Focaccia |
Frequently Asked Questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the best sourdough hydration for beginners? | 65% to 70% is optimal for beginners. The dough holds surface tension cleanly, shapes without tearing, and springs tall in the oven. |
| Does sourdough starter affect total dough hydration? | Yes. A 100% hydration starter is half flour and half water. This tool calculates true total hydration by including both fractions. |
| Why is salt standardly kept at 2% in sourdough? | 2% salt reinforces the gluten matrix, moderates wild yeast activity, prevents over-fermentation, and highlights wheat aromatics. |
| How does Baker's Math calculate ingredient weights? | Flour weight is defined as 100%. Water, levain, and salt weights are calculated as proportions directly relative to that flour weight. |
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