Hydration
To calculate dough hydration, divide the total weight of all liquids by the total weight of all flours, then multiply by 100. Always measure your ingredients in grams using a digital scale for accuracy. Do not use volume measurements like cups or tablespoons when calculating baker percentages.
What is bread hydration?
Bread hydration is the total weight of water in a dough recipe expressed as a percentage of the total flour weight. For example, mixing 500 grams of flour with 350 grams of water results in a 70 percent hydration dough. Hydration directly controls the final crumb structure and crust texture of your loaf.
How do I calculate dough hydration?
To calculate dough hydration, divide the total weight of all liquids by the total weight of all flours, then multiply by 100. Always measure your ingredients in grams using a digital scale for accuracy. Do not use volume measurements like cups or tablespoons when calculating baker percentages.
Frequently asked questions
- Enter the weight of each flour and the total water weight. The calculator instantly shows hydration percentage and baker's percentages for all ingredients. You can also enter a target hydration and let the calculator work out how much water you need.
- Yes. Add each flour separately with its own weight. The calculator sums all flour weights to compute the hydration correctly. Handy for blends like 80% bread flour + 20% whole wheat.
- Enter your target dough weight or the number of loaves. The calculator adjusts all ingredient weights proportionally while keeping the hydration and salt percentages constant.
- The calculator works in grams by default. Grams are the most accurate unit for bread baking. A kitchen scale removes measuring errors that cups introduce, especially for flour.
- Enter all ingredient weights into the calculator. It automatically computes baker's percentages for each ingredient based on the total flour weight. You can then use those percentages as the base for scaling to any batch size.
- That's the convention in baker's math. Flour is the primary structural ingredient, so all other amounts are expressed relative to it. That way you can compare recipes, scale batches, and spot swaps. Batch size changes; the percentages don't.
- Sandwich bread typically falls at 65–72% hydration. Lower hydration produces a tighter, more sliceable crumb. Enriched sandwich breads (with butter, milk, or eggs) often run on the lower end because the fats add tenderness without requiring extra water.
- Eggs and milk both contain water. A large egg is roughly 75% water (~30g of water per 40g egg). Whole milk is about 87% water. Count those liquid contributions toward total water when calculating hydration, or your dough will be wetter than expected.
- Enter the preferment's flour and water weights as separate ingredient rows. The calculator will include them in the total flour and water counts, giving you accurate overall hydration. Just label them clearly so you know which weights to mix the night before.
- No. Oil is not water and does not contribute to hydration. Enter oil as a separate ingredient in the calculator. It will appear as a baker's percentage but will not affect the hydration calculation.