Bread Hydration Calculator
Calculates baker's percentages for bread recipes. Enter flour weight to get all other ingredient amounts scaled automatically, or adjust hydration to change dough texture.
What baker's percentage means
In baker's math, all ingredient amounts are expressed as a percentage of the total flour weight. 1000 g flour at 70% hydration = 700 g water. This makes scaling recipes up or down trivial and allows comparing recipes regardless of batch size.
Hydration guide
| Hydration | Dough type | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 55-65% | Stiff | Bagels, pretzels, some rye breads |
| 65-70% | Standard | Baguette, sandwich loaf, most everyday breads |
| 70-80% | Wet | Ciabatta, sourdough country loaf |
| 80-100%+ | Very wet / slack | High-hydration sourdough, focaccia |
Baker's percentage template
- Flour: 100%
- Water: 65-75% (adjust for desired hydration)
- Salt: 1.8-2%
- Yeast (instant): 0.3-1%
- Starter/levain (sourdough): 15-25%
UK flour types and how protein content affects hydration
UK flour is labelled by intended use rather than by ash content (unlike France's T system or Germany's Type system). Protein content determines water absorption:
| UK flour | Protein % | Hydration range | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain flour | 9-11% | 55-62% | Cakes, pastry, sauces |
| Self-raising flour | 9-11% | 55-62% | Scones, sponges (contains baking powder) |
| Strong bread flour | 12-13% | 65-75% | White loaves, rolls, pizza |
| Very strong / Canadian flour | 14-15% | 70-80% | High-hydration sourdough, baguettes |
| Wholemeal bread flour | 12-14% | 70-80% | Wholemeal loaves (bran absorbs more water) |
| Spelt flour | 10-15% | 60-70% | Spelt loaves, handle carefully, gluten weaker |
Note: UK "strong bread flour" from Marriages, Allinsons, or Doves Farm performs similarly to French T65 or German Type 550. "Very strong" or "Canadian" flour is closer to French farine de gruau or German Type 812.
Why the UK sourdough boom changed home baking hydration habits
The sourdough renaissance in the UK (accelerating sharply during 2020 lockdowns) introduced millions of home bakers to high-hydration doughs for the first time. UK strong bread flour at 70-75% hydration produces a good open crumb; using Canadian flour allows pushing to 78-82% for a more artisan result. The key practical point: UK tap water hardness varies enormously (very hard in SE England, very soft in Scotland/Wales) and can affect gluten development in high-hydration doughs, though the effect is minor compared to flour protein content.