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How the hydration calculator works
The starter is half water
A 100% hydration starter is equal parts flour and water — so 100 g of starter delivers 50 g of each. A "75% hydration" dough with 20% starter is really ~79%: enough to change shaping, stickiness, and crumb. The calculator counts it — and reports salt as a baker's percentage too (1.8–2.2% is the working band).
Reading the number
- 65–70%: sandwich loaves, sandwich crumb, easy shaping — the beginners' band.
- 70–78%: the artisan standard — open crumb available with good folds.
- 80%+: high-hydration territory — slack dough, coil folds, wet hands, and big holes. Requires strong flour and technique.
Flour quality gates everything
The same 78% lands differently across flours: bread flour (12.5%+ protein) holds it; all-purpose (10–11%) makes it a wet exercise in humility. Adjust hydration downward for weaker flour rather than fighting the dough during folds — and whole grains drink more, adding 2–5 points as their share grows.