Baking
Dough Hydration Calculator
Find your dough's hydration (water as a percentage of flour) and what that means for how it will handle.
Measurement System PreferenceAuto-saved
Currently active across all 60 calculators: US Customary (cups, tbsp, oz, °F, in)
grams (~35.3 oz)
grams (~25.4 oz)
Other liquids (optional, for enriched doughs)
Dough hydration
72%
High Hydration Artisan Dough (Country Sourdough, Baguettes)
Requires stretch-and-folds or coil folds to develop gluten tension. Open, airy crumb with custard-like interior.
How to use this calculator
- 1Enter the flour weight and the water weight in grams.
- 2If the dough also has milk, eggs, or butter, pick it under "Other liquids" and enter its weight. Only its water content is counted.
- 3Read the hydration percentage and what kind of dough it makes.
Tip: New to bread? Start around 65-68%. It's forgiving and still gives a nice open crumb.
How it's calculated
Hydration % = (Water Weight ÷ Flour Weight) × 100
We do the math at full precision and only round the final answer, so the numbers you see are as close as kitchen measurements allow. The assumptions and limits are listed alongside.
Worked example
Scenario: 1,000g bread flour and 720g water for a country sourdough loaf.
Inputs1,000g Flour, 720g Water
Calculation(720 ÷ 1,000) × 100 = 72.0%
Result72.0% Hydration (High-Hydration Artisan Dough)
Common questions
What is the ideal hydration for beginner bread bakers?
Around 65-68%. The dough is soft enough for a nice crumb but not so sticky that it's hard to shape.