Sourdough Hydration (65–85%)

100% (anchor)

Bread flour (or high-protein flour) — Higher protein (12.5–14%) tolerates higher hydration; weak flour collapses above 72–74%

55–75%

Water (main dough) — Adjusted so that when combined with levain water, total hydration hits target

15–25%

Levain (active sourdough starter) — Typically 100% hydration starter; counts toward both flour and water totals

1.8–2.2%

Salt — Added after initial autolyse; dissolved in a small amount of reserved water

5–20%

Whole wheat or rye flour (optional) — Adds fermentation activity and absorbs water; must be compensated with additional water to maintain hydration target

1. Calculate total water target (flour weight × hydration%). Subtract water contribution of levain to find main-dough water. 2. Mix flour and most of the water; autolyse 30–60 minutes. 3. Add levain and mix; rest 30 minutes. Add salt dissolved in reserved water; mix to incorporate. 4. Bulk ferment 4–6 hours at 24–26 °C with sets of stretch-and-folds every 30–45 minutes for the first 2 hours. 5. Pre-shape gently; bench rest 20–40 minutes. Final shape with surface tension — high hydration demands decisive, swift shaping to avoid degassing. 6. Proof in a floured banneton 1 hour at room temperature or 8–16 hours in refrigerator. 7. Score and bake in covered Dutch oven at 250 °C (480 °F) for 20 minutes; uncover for 20–25 minutes more to develop crust.

• Count the water and flour in your levain toward the dough's totals — ignoring them skews effective hydration by 3–6%.
• Temperature beats technique at high hydration: a dough at 27 °C shapes far better than the same formula at 21 °C because warmer gluten is more extensible.
• Coil folds (lifting the dough center and folding it under itself from all four sides) build more tension at 78%+ than standard stretch-and-folds.
• A properly fermented, high-hydration dough will jiggle like set gelatin when the bowl is shaken — this 'aliquot jar' test (tracking a small sample to 25–30% rise) is more reliable than a clock.
• If dough spreads on the counter during final shaping, it is either under-fermented, over-proofed, or the gluten was insufficiently developed during bulk — not simply too wet.
• Score deep (at a 30–45° angle) and immediately cover the Dutch oven; trapped steam in the first 20 minutes is what allows the loaf to spring open along the score.

• 65–70% (entry-level sourdough)

  Tight to moderately open crumb; forgiving to shape; suits beginners and whole-grain blends; crust is thicker

• 72–76% (classic open crumb)

  The most common range for bakery-style sourdough; requires stretch-and-fold but not heroic technique

• 78–82% (high hydration)

  Very slack dough; wet-hand technique essential; produces large, irregular holes; demands well-developed gluten network built during bulk

• 83–85% (extreme hydration)

  Used by experienced bakers for ultra-open crumb; often requires coil folds rather than stretch-and-folds; any weak point in the gluten collapses the loaf

• Rye sourdough (45–70%)

  Rye absorbs water differently and lacks gluten; apparent hydration is lower but rye dough is still very slack — a distinct system

• Baker's Percentage System

  Sourdough hydration is expressed entirely in baker's percentages

• Bread Hydration (Lean Dough)

  The lower-hydration baseline from which sourdough ranges depart

• Sourdough Starter Feeding Ratio (1:1:1, 1:2:2, 1:5:5)

  Starter hydration directly affects dough hydration calculations

• Salt to Flour Ratio in Bread (1.8–2.2%)

  Salt at correct percentage is critical for gluten strength in high-hydration doughs

1. 1.Tartine Bread — Chad Robertson (Chronicle Books, 2010)
2. 2.The Sourdough School — Vanessa Kimbell (Kyle Books, 2018)
3. 3.Modernist Bread — Nathan Myhrvold & Francisco Migoya (The Cooking Lab, 2017)
4. 4.Flour Water Salt Yeast — Ken Forkish (Ten Speed Press, 2012)

Confidence: high