How to Use the Sourdough Hydration Calculator
Enter your desired total dough weight in grams, your target hydration percentage, how much starter you want to use (as a percentage of total flour), your starter's hydration level, and salt percentage. The calculator uses baker's percentages to compute the exact amounts of flour, water, starter, and salt you need. It also separates what comes from the starter versus what you add directly, so you know exactly what to weigh out.
Baker's percentage is the standard system professional bakers use worldwide. Every ingredient is expressed as a percentage of the total flour weight. Flour is always 100%. Water at 72% means 72 grams of water for every 100 grams of flour. This makes it easy to scale any recipe up or down by simply changing the total dough weight.
Understanding Sourdough Hydration
Hydration is the most important variable in sourdough baking. It determines the texture of the crumb, how the dough handles, and the final bread character. Lower hydration doughs (60-65%) are stiffer and easier to shape, producing tighter crumb breads ideal for sandwiches. Higher hydration doughs (75-85%) are wetter and more difficult to handle but produce bread with an open, airy crumb and crispy crust.
The Role of Starter
Your sourdough starter contributes both flour and water to the final dough. A 100% hydration starter is equal parts flour and water by weight. The calculator accounts for this by subtracting the starter's flour and water contributions from the totals, showing you exactly how much additional flour and water to add. This ensures your target hydration is accurate regardless of your starter's hydration level.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is baker's percentage in sourdough?
Baker's percentage expresses each ingredient as a percentage of the total flour weight. Flour is always 100%. If you have 500g flour and 350g water, the hydration is 70%.
What hydration level should I use for sourdough?
Beginners should start at 65-70% hydration. Experienced bakers often work at 75-85% for a more open crumb. Above 85% produces ciabatta-like bread.
How much starter should I use?
A typical sourdough recipe uses 15-25% starter relative to total flour. Less starter extends fermentation; more speeds it up.
Does starter hydration matter?
Yes. The calculator accounts for the flour and water contributed by your starter so the overall dough hydration remains accurate.
How much salt should I add to sourdough?
The standard is 2% of total flour weight, which is about 10g per 500g of flour.