Dough Hydration Calculator

Welcome to the Dough Hydration Calculator, your essential tool for mastering bread baking. Whether you're crafting artisan sourdough, perfecting pizza dough, or baking everyday sandwich bread, understanding and controlling hydration is the key to achieving your desired texture and crumb structure.

What is Dough Hydration?

Dough hydration is the ratio of water to flour in your bread recipe, expressed as a percentage. This fundamental concept in baking is calculated using a simple formula:

For example, if your recipe uses 350g of water and 500g of flour, the hydration is (350 ÷ 500) × 100 = 70%.

Why Hydration Matters

Hydration dramatically affects every aspect of your bread:

• Texture and Crumb: Higher hydration creates a more open, airy crumb with larger holes. Lower hydration produces a tighter, more uniform crumb.
• Crust: Wetter doughs tend to develop crispier crusts with better caramelization.
• Workability: Lower hydration doughs are easier to shape and handle. High hydration doughs are sticky and require special techniques.
• Fermentation: Water availability affects yeast activity and gluten development.
• Shelf Life: Higher hydration breads often stay fresh longer due to retained moisture.

Understanding Baker's Percentage

Baker's percentage (also called baker's math) is the professional standard for expressing bread recipes. In this system:

• Flour is always 100% - all other ingredients are expressed relative to flour weight
• Water at 70% means 70g of water for every 100g of flour
• Salt at 2% means 2g of salt for every 100g of flour
• Yeast at 1% means 1g of yeast for every 100g of flour

This system makes it incredibly easy to scale recipes up or down while maintaining exact proportions.

Hydration Levels Guide

Low Hydration (50-57%)

Very stiff doughs that hold their shape well. Used for bagels, pretzels, and some pasta. Easy to handle but produces dense, chewy textures.

Medium-Low Hydration (58-64%)

Firm doughs that are easy to work with. Ideal for sandwich breads, dinner rolls, and traditional baguettes. Good balance of workability and texture.

Medium Hydration (65-71%)

Soft, slightly sticky doughs. Perfect for pizza, focaccia, and many artisan breads. Produces good oven spring and open crumb.

High Hydration (72-79%)

Wet, sticky doughs requiring stretch-and-fold techniques. Used for ciabatta and high-hydration sourdoughs. Creates light, airy bread with large holes.

Very High Hydration (80%+)

Almost batter-like consistency. Requires advanced handling skills. Produces extremely open crumb and crispy crust. Common in focaccia and some ciabatta recipes.

Tips for Working with Different Hydrations

For Low Hydration Doughs

• Use a stand mixer or bread machine - hand kneading can be exhausting
• Allow longer autolyse time for flour to absorb water
• Don't expect much oven spring

For High Hydration Doughs

• Use wet hands instead of adding flour to prevent sticking
• Master the stretch-and-fold technique instead of traditional kneading
• Use a bench scraper for handling and shaping
• Allow proper autolyse (20-60 minutes) before adding salt
• Expect the dough to become more manageable as gluten develops
• Use a well-floured banneton or proofing basket

Flour Type Considerations

Different flours absorb water differently, which affects your hydration calculations:

• Bread Flour: High protein content (12-14%) absorbs more water. Can handle 2-5% more hydration than all-purpose.
• All-Purpose Flour: Standard baseline for most recipes (10-12% protein).
• Whole Wheat Flour: Bran absorbs extra water. Add 5-10% more water to your recipe.
• Rye Flour: Very absorbent. May need 10-15% more water than wheat flour.
• Italian 00 Flour: Finely milled, slightly lower absorption. May need 2-3% less water.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is dough hydration and why does it matter?

Dough hydration is the ratio of water to flour in bread dough, expressed as a percentage. It's calculated by dividing the weight of water by the weight of flour and multiplying by 100. Hydration dramatically affects the texture, crumb structure, and handling characteristics of your bread.

What is baker's percentage?

Baker's percentage is a standardized way to express bread recipes where all ingredients are calculated as a percentage of the total flour weight. Flour is always 100%, and other ingredients are expressed relative to it. This system makes it easy to scale recipes while maintaining proportions.

What hydration level should I use for pizza dough?

Pizza dough typically ranges from 60-70% hydration. Neapolitan-style uses around 60-65%, while New York-style often uses 65-68%. High-hydration pizza (70%+) creates a lighter crust but requires more skill to handle.

Why is my high-hydration dough so sticky?

High-hydration doughs are naturally sticky because they contain more water than the flour can immediately absorb. Use wet hands, stretch-and-fold techniques, and allow proper autolyse time. With practice, they become manageable.

Does flour type affect hydration calculations?

Yes, different flours absorb water differently. Bread flour handles more water than all-purpose. Whole wheat and rye need 5-15% more water due to bran content. When substituting flours, start with less water and adjust.

Additional Resources

• Baker's Percentage - Wikipedia
• Bread Formulation - Wikipedia