Baking
Bread hydration & sourdough calculator
Calculate dough hydration, including flour and water in your starter, or find water for a target hydration.
Do not include the flour already in the starter.
Use zero for a dough without starter.
100% means equal flour and water weights, not equal volumes.
On the kitchen counter
Find your flour–water balance
Move the hydration slider to calculate the water for your dough, including the starter. Mix the bowl for a closer look.
68.18% hydration · 325 g water to add. The scene does not predict dough texture.
The illustration accompanies the results below. Illustrations are schematic.
Total dough hydration
68.18%
500 g added flour + 100 g starter at 100% hydration + 325 g added water.
- Flour in starter
- 50 g
- Water in starter
- 50 g
- Total flour
- 550 g
Hydration is total water divided by total flour, multiplied by 100. Starter flour = starter weight ÷ (1 + starter hydration ÷ 100). This calculation covers flour, water, and a flour-and-water starter; it does not estimate the water in eggs, milk, oil, or other ingredients.
Baker’s percentage reference · Understanding bread hydration
Shared links include the inputs shown here.
Count the flour and water already in your starter
A flour-and-water starter contributes to both sides of the hydration ratio. The tool splits starter weight according to its hydration, adds those amounts to the dough’s added flour and water, then divides total water by total flour.
Worked example
500 g flour, 325 g water, and 100 g of starter at 100% hydration contains 550 g total flour and 375 g total water. The dough’s hydration is 68.18%. To reach 70%, add 335 g water alongside that flour and starter.
Is 70% hydration right for every bread?
It is a mathematical target, not a universal recipe recommendation. Flour, added ingredients, dough style, and your handling preference all matter. This tool counts water and flour only; it does not infer fermentation time or the water contributed by milk and eggs.