A bread hydration calculator measures the ratio of water to flour in dough. Enter your flour and water weights to calculate current hydration, or enter flour weight and a target hydration to find how much water you need.
Hydration Guide
| Hydration | Dough Type | Bread Style |
|---|---|---|
| 55–65% | Stiff, firm | Bagels, pretzels, pizza (Neapolitan) |
| 65–75% | Standard | Sandwich bread, baguettes, sourdough |
| 75–85% | Wet, sticky | Ciabatta, open-crumb sourdough |
| 85–100%+ | Very wet | Focaccia, high-hydration artisan loaves |
How to Calculate Bread Dough Hydration
Hydration is simply water weight divided by flour weight, expressed as a percentage. A recipe with 600g flour and 420g water has 70% hydration (420/600 = 0.70).
What Hydration Affects
Higher hydration creates more open, irregular crumb structure with larger holes — the kind you see in artisan sourdough. Lower hydration creates denser, tighter crumb — better for sandwich bread that needs to hold together when sliced.
Adjusting Hydration
If your dough is too sticky, add flour in 5g increments. If too stiff, add water in 5-10g increments. Always adjust by weight, not volume. Make notes on each bake to track what works best in your specific environment — temperature and humidity affect how much water flour absorbs.
FAQ
What is bread hydration?
Hydration is the weight of water expressed as a percentage of flour weight. 500g flour + 350g water = 70% hydration. It's the single most important number in bread making — it determines dough texture, handling, and final crumb structure.
What hydration is best for beginners?
Start with 65-68% hydration for white bread. This creates manageable dough that isn't sticky. As you gain experience, try 72-75% for a more open crumb structure.
Can I change hydration in a recipe?
Yes. To increase hydration by 5%, add 5% of the flour weight in water. If your recipe has 500g flour, add 25g more water. Adjust gradually — large changes require technique adjustments.
Is this calculator free?
Yes, completely free.