Free Sourdough Hydration Calculator & Baker's Percentage Tool

Calculate perfect ratios, diagnose issues, and rescue failed dough

This sourdough hydration calculator helps you calculate precise baker's percentages for perfect bread every time. Our free sourdough calculator includes hydration ratios (65-80%), visual poke test diagnosis, and flour type adjustments. Whether you're a beginner or experienced baker, get the exact water-to-flour ratio for your desired crumb structure.

Sourdough Hydration Quick Reference

🧱 50-60% Hydration

Dense, stiff dough. Perfect for bagels and pretzels. Easy to handle for beginners.

🍞 65-75% Hydration

Standard bread. Recommended for beginners. Manageable stickiness with good crumb.

☁️ 75-80% Hydration

Artisan loaves. Open crumb structure. Requires experience and proper technique.

🌊 80%+ Hydration

Ciabatta style. Very sticky. Advanced bakers only. Huge holes and light texture.

Total Flour

grams

Standard loaf is usually 500g.

Desired Crumb (Hydration)

Advanced: Adjust Starter & Salt %

Starter %

Salt %

Flour Type Adjustments

Different flours absorb water differently. Adjust your hydration based on flour type:

🌾

Whole Wheat Flour

Absorbs more water due to bran content. Increase hydration by 5-10% from the standard recipe.

🍞

Bread Flour (12-14% protein)

High protein content absorbs more water. Can handle higher hydration (75-80%) without spreading.

⚪

All-Purpose Flour (10-12% protein)

Lower protein means less water absorption. Reduce hydration by 3-5% or expect stickier dough.

🌰

Rye Flour

Very absorbent and lacks gluten structure. Needs 10-15% more water than wheat flour.

Diagnose Your Dough with the Poke Test

👆 The Poke Test Guide

When is it ready to bake? Press your finger 1cm into the dough.

Sourdough poke test guide showing underproofed (springs back fast), perfect (springs back slowly), and overproofed (stays dented)

Underproofed Springs back fast.
Wait longer.

Perfect Springs back slowly.
Bake now!

Overproofed Stays dented.
Make Focaccia.

Understanding Baker's Math

Why measuring by weight changes everything.

Why Most Sourdough Recipes Fail

Most sourdough failures come from one problem: hydration is guessed, not calculated. Flour absorbs water differently depending on humidity, grain type, and starter hydration. Baker's Percentage solves this by making Flour = 100%. Everything else is a percentage of the flour weight.

Visual explanation of Baker's Math formula showing flour as 100% basis with water, starter and salt as percentages of total flour weight — **Baker's Math Explained:** Flour is always 100%. Everything else is relative to it.

Why We Don't Use "Cups" for Bread

If you scoop a cup of flour on a humid day, it packs down and weighs 150g. On a dry day, it might weigh 120g. That 30g difference is enough to turn a light loaf into a brick. That is why our baker's percentage calculator defaults to grams.

Frequently Asked Questions

My dough is too sticky! Should I add flour? ▼

Try not to. Adding raw flour late in the process creates streaks and dense spots. Instead, wet your hands with water or lightly oil the counter. "Wet hands stick less than dry hands."

When is my starter ready to use? ▼

Look for the "Float Test." Drop a teaspoon of starter into a glass of water. If it floats, it's full of gas and ready to bake. If it sinks, feed it and wait another hour.

Why is my sourdough loaf flat and dense? ▼

A flat or dense sourdough loaf is usually caused by incorrect hydration or fermentation.

Too low hydration: Dough is stiff and cannot expand properly.
Too high hydration: Dough spreads if gluten strength is insufficient.
Under-fermentation: Not enough gas was produced before baking.

What hydration percentage should I use for sourdough? ▼

Beginners: Start with 65-70% hydration for easier handling.
Standard: 72-75% is the sweet spot for most sourdough.
Advanced: 80%+ creates ciabatta-style open crumb but requires skill.

Use our hydration calculator above to get exact measurements for your chosen percentage.

Want to go deeper?