Dough Hydration Calculator

Figure out your dough's hydration percentage or calculate how much water you need for your target ratio. Essential for bread, pizza, and sourdough baking.

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What Is Dough Hydration?

Dough hydration is the ratio of water to flour in a dough, expressed as a percentage of the flour weight. It's a core concept in bread baking (often called "baker's percentage" or "baker's math"). Hydration dramatically affects dough texture, crumb structure, and oven spring.

How to Calculate Hydration

Hydration % = (Water Weight ÷ Flour Weight) × 100

For example: 325g water ÷ 500g flour = 0.65 = 65% hydration

In baker's percentage, flour is always 100%, and all other ingredients are measured as a percentage of the flour weight.

Hydration Levels and What They Mean

Low Hydration (50-60%)

Firm, stiff doughs. Best for bagels, pretzels, pasta, and some sandwich breads. These doughs are easy to handle and produce a dense, chewy crumb.

Medium Hydration (60-70%)

The most common range. Great for sandwich bread, dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, and many pizza doughs. Dough is manageable and produces a good crumb.

High Hydration (70-85%)

Wet, sticky doughs. Used for artisan bread, rustic loaves, ciabatta, and focaccia. Produces large, irregular holes (open crumb) and a crispy crust. More challenging to handle.

Very High Hydration (85%+)

Extremely wet, almost batter-like doughs. No-knead breads and some artisanal loaves fall into this range. Requires careful folding and shaping techniques.

Factors That Affect Hydration

  • Flour type: Whole wheat and rye flours absorb more water than white flour.
  • Flour protein: Higher protein bread flour absorbs more water than all-purpose.
  • Altitude: Higher altitudes may need slightly less water.
  • Humidity: Flour absorbs moisture from the air — you may need less water in humid climates.
  • Add-ins: Eggs, butter, oil, milk, and sweeteners all affect dough consistency.

Baker's Percentage Cheat Sheet

Common ingredient percentages (all based on flour = 100%):

  • Water: 50-85% (varies by recipe type)
  • Yeast: 0.5-3% (less for slow fermentation, more for sweet doughs)
  • Salt: 1.5-2.5% (usually about 2% for bread)
  • Sugar: 0-15% (sweet doughs can go higher)
  • Fat (butter/oil): 0-15% (enriched doughs)