Hydration - Bread Dough | CraftyBaking | Formerly Baking911 (2024)

Bread bakers often talk about the percent hydration of dough or water Baker's %; that is the weight of the liquids relative to the weight of the flour. Hydration is one of the most important factors in mixing, and in the final appearance of the productsince the hydration level helps the baker predict the texture of the crumb. NOTE:Liquid ingredients also include water, milk, alcohol, and juice. It is also important to take into consideration the type of flour used in the formula. Different millers have different gluten levels in their flour, and if a different type of flour is used, the water baker’s % will likely change.For example, most dry dough such as bagels and pretzels are 50-57 baker’s % water, while most bread is 58-65 baker’s % water.

To calculate the hydration level of a conventional recipe, first weigh the flour and water or other liquid. Divide the weight of the water by the weight of the flour and then multiply the result by 100. For example, a recipe containing 1 1/4 cups of water (10 ounces) and 3 cups of all-purpose flour (15 ounces) will have a 67 percent (10/15 x 100 = 67) hydration level, indicating a moderately airy crumb.

The percent hydration of dough can also be calculated according toits Baker's Percentage.

French bread formula as an example.The hydration of the dough is 60% since that’s the percentage of water in the formula.
INGREDIENT	PERCENTAGE
Flour	100
Water	60
Yeast	2
Salt	2

Hydration affects the process of bread building and thenature of the final result. Generally speaking, the more water in the dough, the more open the final bread's crumb. Bread can also beclassified according to three categories based on hydration: stiff, standard or rustic.

DOUGH TEXTURE	% HYDRATION	BREAD TYPE AND CRUMB
Stiff: Very firm, dry and satiny; not tacky	50 to 57	Yields dense crumb in breads such as bagels, pretzels Bagels (50 to 57% hydration) are one of the least hydrated doughs and are extremely stiff. This means that they need a ton of kneading to get all the flour incorporated and gluten developed; it also means that they are not sticky at all in dough form.
Standard: Tacky but not sticky; supple	58 to 65	Yields a denser, closed crumb, in breads such as sandwich bread, rolls, French and other European breads Many formulas, such as white sandwich bread, French bread, and challah, use around 57 to 65% hydration.The dough starts to be a bit more tacky, but also more extensible. These doughs can hold their shape well, but also allow for a greater volume in proofing (rising).
Rustic: Wet, sticky	65 to 80 or more	Yields an airy crumb and large, irregular holes, in breads such as ciabatta, focaccia, pizza On the higher end of the spectrum you have breads like focaccia and ciabatta, which could be 65 to 80% or morehydrated. These doughs are extremely sticky. Kneading does not usually work on these doughs, and instead techniques used are turning (folding) or just letting the dough develop the gluten over a long period of time on its own (no kneading). We use this technique with the Parmesan, Bacon and Walnut Topped Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread Recipe. These doughs need careful shaping.They might need a bit more bake time than usual prevent the inside from being gummy.

NOTE: Different types of flour absorb water differently because of their gluten protein percents. You may need to adjust dough consistencies; hydration with one flour at 75%may need to be adjusted to 73% or 77% when using a different brand or type.

Other How-tos

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Measuring Techniques - Basic Ingredient Weights

How to Get Rid of Flour Bugs

Hydration - Bread Dough | CraftyBaking | Formerly Baking911 (2024)

FAQs

How to tell if dough is hydrated enough? ›

Hydration is calculated by taking the weight of water or liquid in a recipe and dividing it by the weight of flour to get a percentage. Remember that hydration = water / flour. So in the recipe above, if water is 750g and flour is 1,000g, the total hydration of the dough is 750 / 1,000, or 75%.

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What is the perfect hydration for bread? ›

In a baker's ratio, the flour is always the 1 in the ratio. The hydration level tells you the percentage of water in relation to the flour. Workable hydration levels for bread fall between about 66% and 100% hydration. So for every 100g of flour, for example, your recipe might call for 66-100g of water.

What is good dough hydration? ›

This ratio (usually as a percentage) is called the hydration level. A wet dough would be anywhere from 70% (70 g water per 100 g flour) to 90% (90 g water to 100 g flour) or more. An artisan loaf of sourdough often will be wet (70% to 80% or more) to help make an open crumb with a lot of randomly sized holes.

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Does wet dough make better bread? ›

And with high-hydration doughs like ciabatta or pan de cristal, a wet, soft dough with ample strength is a must. Too little water will leave them dense and, while still delicious, they won't have the thin crust and lacy interior that's the hallmark of the style.

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How do you know that the dough is overhydrated? ›

The test is when you touch the dough it should feel only just slightly sticky but not enough for the dough to come away with the finger tip. Dough should feel Damp but not wet. It should feel just sticky but not actually stick to your hands.

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How do you know when dough needs water? ›

Dough with not enough water will not only feel dry to the touch, but will also be difficult to stretch. If that's the case, you'll want to add water before the dough has the chance to proof and damage the gluten. Add the water little by little until the dough is wet, but not sticky.

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How do you test for moisture in dough? ›

Loss on Drying Method versus Moisture Meters

One way to determine moisture is the loss-on-drying method, which involves total dehydration of a sample then comparing the weight before the dehydration to its new weight.

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What is considered a low hydration dough? ›

The higher the water content of your bread dough, the higher the hydration. Anything above 80% is considered high hydration dough. If it is below 70%, it is a low hydration loaf. The main difference with different hydration levels is the texture.

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