Plan mix and master hydration with smart baker percentages dynamic preferment handling enrichment water accounting DDT based water temperature guidance optional autolyse and bassinage controls and a clear breakdown of flour water salt sugar and add ins for consistent breads pizza and sweet doughs across styles from baguettes sourdough focaccia buns loaves flatbreads and
Definition and why it matters. Hydration is the ratio of total water to total flour by weight. It governs dough handling, gluten development, fermentation speed, crumb structure, and crust. Higher hydration generally yields a more open crumb and thinner crust; lower hydration gives tighter crumb and easier shaping.
Baker’s percentages in a nutshell. All ingredient weights are expressed as a percentage of total flour weight. Flour equals 100%. Water at 70% means 70 g water for every 100 g flour. This convention scales recipes cleanly.
| Style | Typical Hydration Range |
|---|---|
| Baguette | 65–70% |
| Country sourdough | 70–85% |
| Ciabatta | 75–90% |
| Focaccia | 75–85% |
| Neapolitan pizza | 58–65% |
| New York pizza | 60–65% |
| Bagels | 55–60% |
| Brioche / enriched | 50–60% + fats/eggs |
| Whole wheat loaves | 68–80% |
Enter weights in grams. Values update in real time.
Desired Dough Temperature (DDT) target. Set a realistic DDT to steer fermentation and dough strength.
Room humidity and altitude notes. High altitude and low humidity can accelerate drying and fermentation. Expect slightly higher hydration and shorter bulk at elevation; protect dough with covered containers. In very humid rooms, reduce hydration or extend folds to maintain structure.
| Component | Grams | Baker’s % |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0.0 | 100.0% |
| Ingredient | Weight (g) | Baker’s % |
|---|---|---|
| Totals | 0.0 | — |
Autolyse and bassinage (hold-out water). Autolyse improves extensibility. You may hold salt and preferment until after autolyse. Bassinage adds reserved water gradually during mixing to fine‑tune dough feel. Use the “Hold‑out water” input above; it still counts toward total hydration, and is shown as a separate stream.
Salt/sugar timing effects. Salt tightens gluten and moderates fermentation; adding it later after autolyse increases extensibility. Sugar competes for water and can slow yeast; for sweet doughs, consider longer bulk or higher yeast inoculation.
Soakers and tangzhong/yu‑dane. Pre‑hydrating a portion of flour increases softness and shelf life. Tangzhong: cook ~5–10% flour with 5× water to ~65°C, cool, then add; yu‑dane uses boiling water at 1:1 with flour. These contributions are included as water and flour in this calculator if entered in the preferment or liquids fields.
Add‑ins. Seeds and dried fruit can steal water. For heavy add‑ins, increase hydration by 2–5% or pre‑soak add‑ins and include that water in the liquids.
Yes, if the respective checkboxes are enabled. Milk and eggs add water that materially impacts effective hydration.
Choose either “By flour and water” to enter grams directly, or “By total weight and hydration %” to auto‑split into flour and water.
Yes. Salt baker’s % is salt grams divided by total flour grams × 100. Typical range is 1.8–2.2% for lean doughs.
24–26°C is common for lean doughs; enriched doughs often prefer 23–25°C. Use the water temperature calculator to hit your target.
Start with 2–5% of total formula water. Add gradually during mixing until the dough reaches desired strength and feel.
Often yes. Increase hydration 3–7% for high percentages of whole wheat or rye to account for bran absorption.
Yes. Because everything is in baker’s percentages, change total flour and the rest scales automatically.
No. Fermentation time, flour strength, mixing, folds, and baking also have big effects alongside hydration.
Targets don’t edit your inputs automatically; they’re reference points.
This tool computes total hydration using base and preferment contributions and optional enrichment water. It shows baker’s percentages for clear communication and scaling.
Important Note: All the Calculators listed in this site are for educational purpose only and we do not guarentee the accuracy of results. Please do consult with other sources as well.