Sourdough Hydration Calculator
The hydration level of sourdough tells you how much water is retained within your dough.
Doughs with low hydration are stiff, firm and require longer fermentation times.
Doughs with high hydration are slack, sticky, and faster to ferment.
The hydration also impacts your final bread in all of:
- Look
- Texture
- Crust
You can use this free calculator to figure out how much water and/or flower to add to
your sourdough starter to achieve a target hydration.
| Hydration Level | Dough | Bread | Common Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50% – 60% | Firm, dry | Tight Crumb, Tall rise, Firm Texture | Bagels, Pretzels |
| 60% – 70% | Sticky, Tacky | Medium Crumb, Softer Texture | Sandwich bread, French Bread, Traditional Sourdough |
| 70%+ | Loose, Slack | Open Crumb, Thin Crust, Flatter Loaf | Ciabatta, Focaccia |
Install instructions
You can install this calculator as an app to your phone
Android
- Open your browser’s settings.
- Scroll down and tap Add to Home screen.
- Confirm by tapping Add.
- The app will now show up on your home screen.
iOS
- Tap the ‘Share’ button
- scroll down and tap ‘Add to Home Screen.’
- Enter the name for the app then tap add.
- The app will now show up on your home screen.
