Enter the weight of water and the weight of the flour into the calculator to determine the hydration percentage.
Bread Hydration Formula
The following formula is used to calculate the hydration percentage in bread baking.
HP = (Ww / Wf) * 100
Variables:
- HP is the hydration percentage (%)
- Ww is the weight of the water (grams)
- Wf is the weight of the flour (grams)
To calculate the hydration percentage, divide the weight of the water by the weight of the flour, then multiply the result by 100. This will give you the hydration percentage, which indicates the ratio of water to flour by weight in your dough.
What is a Bread Hydration?
Bread hydration refers to the ratio of water to flour in a bread recipe, expressed as a percentage. It is a critical factor in bread baking as it impacts the dough’s consistency, the bread’s texture, and the crust’s quality. Higher hydration results in a more open crumb and a thinner, crisper crust, while lower hydration leads to a denser crumb and a thicker crust. For instance, a dough with a hydration level of 65% means there is 65g of water for every 100g of flour.
How to Calculate Bread Hydration?
The following steps outline how to calculate the Bread Hydration.
- First, determine the weight of the water (Ww) in grams.
- Next, determine the weight of the flour (Wf) in grams.
- Next, use the formula HP = (Ww / Wf) * 100 to calculate the hydration percentage.
- Finally, calculate the Bread Hydration.
- After inserting the variables and calculating the result, check your answer with the calculator above.
Example Problem :
Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge.
weight of the water (Ww) = 200 grams
weight of the flour (Wf) = 500 grams
