What is dough hydration?
Water divided by flour. The number that says most about a bread.
It is the weight of the water divided by the weight of the flour, as a percentage. A dough with 1,000 g of flour and 700 g of water is at 70 % hydration.
What each range gives you
Swipe to see the whole table
| Hydration | Type of dough | How it handles |
|---|---|---|
| 50-57 % | Bagels, dry pasta, some pan breads | Stiff, hard work to knead |
| 58-65 % | Sandwich bread, enriched doughs, classic pizza | Comfortable, shapes easily |
| 65-72 % | Standard rustic bread | Slightly tacky, manageable |
| 72-80 % | Open-crumb breads, focaccia | Slack, wants folds rather than kneading |
| 80-90 % | Ciabatta and high-hydration breads | Very sticky, almost pourable at first |
More water is not better bread
There is a widespread idea that raising hydration improves bread. It does not: it makes a different bread. High hydration favours an open, irregular crumb, but it also makes the dough harder to handle, more prone to spreading in the oven, and unsuitable for a sandwich loaf or rolls.
The right hydration is the one that matches the bread you want, not the highest you can survive.
Every flour absorbs differently
The same 70 % behaves differently depending on the flour:
- Strong bread flour: more protein, absorbs more water, handles high hydration well.
- Weak flour: absorbs less; at 70 % it can already feel excessively slack.
- Whole wheat: the bran absorbs a lot of water, and slowly. A wholemeal dough feels wetter at first and tightens as it rests.
- Rye: absorbs enormously and behaves nothing like wheat.
Sourdough changes the number
Add 200 g of 100 % hydration starter and you are adding 100 g of flour and 100 g of water. A formula with 1,000 g of flour and 700 g of water that looked like 70 % is actually at (700+100) / (1,000+100) = 72.7 %.
That correction is what separates a well-written recipe from one that merely looks precise.
Using it in practice
The useful thing is not chasing a number but writing down the one that worked. If a loaf comes out well at 68 % with your flour and your oven, that is your starting point next time, and you can move it two points at a time to see what changes.
Sources and methodology
The definition of hydration is the standard baking convention (total water over total flour). The ranges in the table are descriptive and commonly used, not prescriptive.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate dough hydration?
Divide the total water weight by the total flour weight and multiply by 100. With 1,000 g of flour and 700 g of water, 70 %.
What hydration is pizza dough?
Classic Neapolitan runs 58-65 %. High-hydration pan pizza doughs can reach 75-80 %.
Does higher hydration make better bread?
No, it makes different bread: more open crumb but harder to handle. The right hydration depends on the bread you want.
How does sourdough starter affect hydration?
It brings its own flour and water. A 100 % starter is half and half, and both parts must be added to the totals to get the real hydration.
Does milk count as water?
Not in the classic notation: hydration refers to water. Milk is listed separately even though it adds moisture.