Calculate dough hydration from your flour and water weights, or estimate water, flour, starter, salt and instant yeast for a target hydration up to 250%. Starter flour and water count in the totals; ingredient moisture is not modeled.

Enter added flour and water; optional starter is counted separately.

Hydration counts total flour and water, including a flour-and-water starter. Oil, sugar and yeast do not count as water. Ingredient moisture and flour absorption are not modeled.

Starter and ingredients (blank means zero)

Blank means 100% hydration; applies only when starter is entered.

Dough Hydration Formula

The following formula is used to calculate the dough hydration percentage.

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 dough 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 in the dough.

What is a Dough Hydration?

Dough hydration refers to the ratio of water to flour in a bread recipe, expressed as a percentage. It is a critical factor in baking as it impacts the dough’s consistency, the bread’s texture, and the crust’s appearance. Higher hydration often makes dough looser or stickier, but flour, mixing, fermentation and baking also affect handling and crumb; hydration alone does not guarantee large holes or a particular texture.

How to Calculate Dough Hydration?

The following steps outline how to calculate the Dough Hydration using the formula: HP = (Ww / Wf) * 100

  1. First, determine the weight of the water (Ww) in grams.
  2. Next, determine the weight of the flour (Wf) in grams.
  3. Next, use the formula HP = (Ww / Wf) * 100 to calculate the hydration percentage.
  4. Finally, calculate the Dough Hydration.
  5. 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