🍞

Sourdough Baker's Calculator

Compute exact water & salt weights from your flour using baker's percentages

Flour Weight

Target Hydration72%

60% (Lean)72% (Middle)85% (High)

Salt2%

1.5% (Low)2.0% (Standard)3.0% (High)

Water Needed

360g

500g × 72% hydration

Salt Needed

10g

500g × 2%

Total Dough Weight

870g

Flour + Water + Salt

Dough Composition

Flour (57.5%) Water (41.4%) Salt

Baker's Percentages

🌾 Flour (100% base)500g

💧 Water

72%360g

🧂 Salt

2%10g

= Total Dough870g

Hydration Reference & Formula

Name	Hydration	Texture
Ciabatta / Focaccia	75–85%	Very wet, open crumb
Classic Artisan Sourdough	70–75%	Moderate open crumb
Standard Loaf / Sandwich	65–70%	Tighter crumb, easier to shape
Lean / Beginner	60–65%	Firm dough, easy to handle

Formula

Water = Flour Weight × (Hydration % / 100)
Salt = Flour Weight × (Salt % / 100)

💡

Baker's percentages are based on flour weight as 100%. A 72% hydration dough means \n the water weight equals 72% of the flour weight — not 72% of the total dough. This system scales \n perfectly to any batch size.

Mastering Sourdough Hydration

🌾

Your Flour is 100%

Everything in a baker's formula is a percentage of the total flour weight. \n If you use 500g flour and 350g water, that's 70% hydration — not 41%.

💧

Hydration Changes Everything

Higher hydration (75%+) creates open, irregular crumb with large air pockets. \n Lower hydration (60-65%) is easier to shape and produces a tighter crumb.

🧂

Salt is a Non-Negotiable

At 2%, salt controls fermentation, strengthens gluten, and enhances flavor. \n Going below 1.5% risks over-fermentation; above 2.5% starts to inhibit yeast.

📊 Hydration & Result Guide

Hydration	Dough Feel	Best For	Difficulty
60–65%	Firm, easy to handle, minimal stickiness	Sandwich loaves, bagels, beginners	🟢 Easy
65–70%	Slightly tacky, manageable with gentle hands	Everyday sourdough, boules	🟢 Easy
70–75%	Tacky, requires wet hands and confident folds	Artisan sourdough, batards	🟡 Moderate
75–80%	Sticky, spreads without structure support	Ciabatta, focaccia, open crumb	🟠 Advanced
80–85%	Very wet, almost batter-like, needs coil folds	High-hydration country loaves	🔴 Expert

🧮 Scaling Example

Baker's percentages make scaling effortless. Here's how the same formula works at different batch sizes:

Ingredient	Small Loaf	Medium Loaf	Large Loaf	2 Loaves
Flour (100%)	300g	500g	750g	1,000g
Water (72%)	216g	360g	540g	720g
Salt (2%)	6g	10g	15g	20g
Total Dough	522g	870g	1,305g	1,740g

💡 Pro Tips

Add salt after autolyse — mix flour and water first, let rest 30 min, then add salt. This improves gluten development.
Reserve 5–10% of water — hold back some water and add it later if the dough feels too stiff. This prevents over-hydration.
Use a kitchen scale — volume measurements for flour can vary by 20%+ in weight. Always weigh for consistent results.
Account for starter — if your starter is 100% hydration (equal flour and water), it contributes both flour and water to the total. For 200g starter, that's 100g flour + 100g water.
Whole wheat absorbs more — whole grain flours typically need 5–10% more hydration than white bread flour for the same dough consistency.

💡 Remember: Baker's percentages always add up to more than 100%. \n A 72% hydration + 2% salt + 100% flour = 172% total. This is normal and correct — \n the total dough weight will be 172% of your flour weight.

About the Sourdough Baker's- Perfect Dough Hydration & Salt Calculator

The Sourdough Baker's- Perfect Dough Hydration & Salt Calculator is a specialized online utility designed to help you calculate the exact water and salt weights for your sourdough using baker's percentages. adjust hydration from 60-85% and salt from 1.5-3%. It performs calculations in real-time to provide immediate, reliable estimates for study, work, or daily tasks.

How to Use

Simply enter your parameters in the input fields of the calculator widget above. The tool evaluates the inputs instantly and displays the results in real-time. You can modify any value to check alternate scenarios and compare figures dynamically.

Data Privacy & Safety

All calculations are executed locally within your web browser. No inputs are sent to our servers or stored externally, ensuring your personal and financial details remain completely private and secure.