Hydration
Hydration is the weight of water in a bread dough as a percent of the flour weight. Higher numbers mean a wetter dough and a more open crumb.
Also called Dough hydration.
Hydration is how much water a dough has compared to its flour, given as a percentage of the flour's weight. A dough with 1000 g of flour and 700 g of water is 70 percent hydration. Bakers use it to describe how wet a dough is and to scale recipes up or down. Higher hydration usually means a softer dough and a more open crumb.
How to do it
- Weigh the flour and the water on a kitchen scale. Volume measures are too loose for this.
- Divide the water weight by the flour weight and multiply by 100.
- For a sourdough, count the flour and water inside the starter too. A 100 g starter fed with equal weights holds 50 g flour and 50 g water.
- If the recipe uses milk, many bakers count it as about 85 to 90 percent water, since the rest is fat, protein and sugar.
Why it works
Water lets gluten form and lets bubbles grow. More water makes the gluten network more stretchy, so bubbles expand further. It also makes more steam in the oven, which helps the loaf rise. Different flours drink different amounts. Strong bread flour and whole wheat flour take more water than soft white flour.
How to use it
| Hydration | Dough feel | Typical bread |
|---|---|---|
| 50 to 60 percent | Firm, easy to shape | Bagels, pretzels |
| 60 to 65 percent | Soft, slightly tacky | Sandwich loaves, pizza |
| 68 to 75 percent | Sticky, needs folding | Country loaves, sourdough |
| 75 to 85 percent and up | Very wet, loose | Ciabatta, focaccia |
Start lower if you are new to bread. A wetter dough is harder to shape.
Common mistakes
- Copying a high hydration from one flour to another. The same number can feel very different. Hold back 5 to 10 percent of the water and add it if the dough feels stiff.
- Adding flour to a sticky dough while kneading. It lowers the hydration. Use wet hands or folds instead.
- Forgetting the starter's water in the math.
Related terms
- CrumbThe crumb is the soft inside of a bread or cake, and its holes and texture tell you how it was mixed, proofed and baked. Here is how to read it.
- AutolyseAutolyse is a rest where flour and water sit before salt and yeast go in. It makes bread dough smoother and easier to knead and shape.
- Kitchen scaleA kitchen scale weighs ingredients in grams or ounces, which is far more accurate than cups for baking. Here is how to use one and the tare button.
- Sourdough starterA sourdough starter is a fed mix of flour and water full of wild yeast and bacteria that leavens bread. Here is how to make, feed and store one.
- Bread flourBread flour is a high-protein white wheat flour that gives chewy, well-risen loaves. In the UK it is strong flour, in Sweden vetemjöl special.
- FoldTo fold is to combine a light mix, like whipped cream or egg whites, into a heavier one without losing air. It also means stretching dough in bread making.