What is the best hydration for sourdough?

Most beginners start with 65-70% hydration for better manageability. Advanced bakers often go for 75-85% hydration to achieve a more open, lacy crumb structure.

Does sourdough starter affect hydration?

Yes. Most starters are 100% hydration (equal parts flour and water). This calculator automatically accounts for the flour and water in your starter to give you a true total hydration percentage.

Sourdough hydration calculator

Enter your recipe weights to calculate the exact hydration percentage and baker's ratios.

Hydration

72.7%

Salt Ratio

2.0%

Total Weight

960g

The truth about hydration

Sourdough hydration is basically a trade-off between how good the bread looks and how much you're going to hate your life while shaping it. High hydration (80%+) is what gets you those "Instagrammable" holes in the crumb, but the dough is like working with wet glue. If you're just starting out, stick to 65-70%. It's much easier to handle and still tastes fantastic.

How the math actually works

Most calculators forget the flour and water already inside your starter. If you use a standard 100% hydration starter (equal parts flour and water), a 100g scoop of it is actually contributing 50g of flour and 50g of water to your dough. I've built this tool to account for that "hidden" hydration so your recipe stays consistent every single time.