Bread Hydration Calculator
Calculate your dough's hydration percentage or find how much water to add to hit a target. Metric only (grams).
Flour & Water Weights
Other Liquids (optional)
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Hydration
Current Dough
Hydration Guide
| Hydration | Bread Type | Texture | Shaping Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55–65% | Bagels, pretzels, stiff dough | Dense, chewy, smooth | Easy |
| 65–75% | Sandwich bread, dinner rolls | Soft, even crumb | Easy–Moderate |
| 75–85% | Artisan loaves, sourdough | Open, irregular crumb | Moderate |
| 80–90% | Ciabatta, focaccia | Airy, large holes, sticky | Difficult |
| 90%+ | No-knead, ultra-open crumb | Very wet, slack dough | Very Difficult |
What Is Baker's Hydration?
Baker's hydration expresses the weight of water as a percentage of the flour weight: Hydration % = (Water ÷ Flour) × 100. It's always based on flour weight — if you have 500g flour and 375g water, your hydration is 75%. Other liquids (milk, eggs, oil) contribute partially — milk is ~88% water, eggs ~74%, oil 0%.
Higher hydration doughs are stickier and harder to shape but produce more open, airy crumbs. Lower hydration doughs are stiffer, easier to shape, and produce a tighter, chewier crumb structure typical of bagels and pretzels.