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Calculate true dough hydration with 11 liquid types. Switch to baker's percentage mode to scale any recipe. Instantly see dough behavior for sourdough, bread, pizza, and enriched doughs.
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Simple Mode: Enter flour and liquids. Baker's Percentage Mode: Enter target weight and percentages to scale recipes.
Calculate true hydration with baker's percentages
Dough hydration is the ratio of total water weight to total flour weight, expressed as a percentage. In baker's math, flour is always 100%. If you use 500g flour and 350g water, hydration = (350 / 500) x 100 = 70%.
Hydration is the single most important number in bread baking. It determines:
Low hydration = firm, easy to shape. High hydration = sticky, requires stretch-and-fold.
Low hydration = tight, uniform crumb. High hydration = open, irregular, airy crumb.
Higher hydration accelerates yeast activity and enzyme reactions.
Higher hydration produces better oven spring and crispier crust.
Enter flour, water, and any additional liquid. Select the liquid type. The calculator shows true hydration adjusted for actual water content.
Enter a target dough weight and ingredient percentages. The calculator scales the recipe to exact gram amounts.
Supports 11 liquid types with accurate water content coefficients.
| Liquid | Water % | 100g = | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 100% | 100g | All breads |
| Coffee | 99% | 99g | Chocolate bread |
| Beer | 92% | 92g | Beer bread |
| Fruit Juice | 88% | 88g | Fruit breads |
| Whole Milk | 87% | 87g | Brioche |
| Yogurt | 85% | 85g | Flatbreads |
| Whole Egg | 75% | 75g | Challah |
| Honey | 17% | 17g | Honey wheat |
| Melted Butter | 15% | 15g | Enriched dough |
| Oil | 0% | 0g | Focaccia |
| Sourdough Starter | ~50% | ~50g | Sourdough |
Source: USDA FoodData Central for nutritional composition data.
True Hydration % = (Net Water / Total Flour) x 100
Net Water = Pure Water + (Additional Liquid x Water Coefficient)
Nominal: (320 + 40) / 500 = 72%. True: (320 + 40 x 0.87) / 500 = 70.96%. The 1% difference matters for consistent results.
Ingredient % = (Ingredient Weight / Flour Weight) x 100
Flour is always 100%. Salt at 2% = 2g per 100g flour.
Sourdough: 450g bread flour, 50g whole wheat, 350g water, 100g starter (100% hydration), 10g salt:
Step 1: Starter: 100g = 50g flour + 50g water
Step 2: Total flour = 450 + 50 + 50 = 550g
Step 3: Total water = 350 + 50 = 400g
Step 4: True hydration = (400 / 550) x 100 = 72.7%
Step 5: Salt % = (10 / 550) x 100 = 1.82%
| Ingredient | Typical % | 500g flour | 1000g flour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flour | 100% | 500g | 1000g |
| Water | 60-80% | 300-400g | 600-800g |
| Salt | 1.8-2.5% | 9-12.5g | 18-25g |
| Yeast | 0.5-1% | 2.5-5g | 5-10g |
| Sugar | 0-10% | 0-50g | 0-100g |
| Fat | 0-20% | 0-100g | 0-200g |
| Hydration | Type | Best For | Handling |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50-55% | Stiff | Bagels, pretzels | Firm, easy to shape |
| 55-60% | Firm | Sandwich bread | Smooth, holds shape |
| 60-65% | Standard | Pizza, burger buns | Slightly tacky |
| 65-70% | Medium-High | Sourdough, Neapolitan | Tacky, extensible |
| 70-78% | High / Artisan | Rustic sourdough | Stretch-and-fold |
| 78-85% | Very High | Ciabatta, focaccia | Slap-and-fold |
| 85%+ | Extreme | Panettone | Pour into molds |
100g 100% hydration starter = 50g flour + 50g water
100g 80% hydration starter = 55.6g flour + 44.4g water
The Baker's Percentage tab handles starter math automatically.
| Flour | Protein | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Cake/Pastry | 7-9% | Reduce 5-10% |
| All-Purpose | 10-12% | Baseline |
| Bread Flour | 12-14% | Standard or +2-5% |
| Whole Wheat | 13-14% | +10-15% |
| Rye | 8-12% | +10-20% |
This calculator provides estimates based on standard water content coefficients. Actual water content varies by brand, temperature, and product. Flour absorption rates depend on protein content, milling, and humidity. Reserve 5-10% of water and adjust based on dough feel.
Dough hydration is the ratio of water weight to flour weight, expressed as a percentage. Flour is always 100%. If you have 500g flour and 350g water, hydration = (350/500) x 100 = 70%. It is the single most important number in bread baking.
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Content Updated At : 30/08/2026
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