Bread hydration calculator
Hydration is water as a percentage of flour. Work it out from a recipe, get the water for a target, or rescue a dough that isn’t behaving.
Effective hydration
72.7%
400 g total water in 550 g total flour. Water ÷ flour alone would say 70.0%.
What each percentage feels like
Hydration is the single number that tells you how a dough will behave in your hands. Slide from bagel-stiff to ciabatta-slack.
French baguette, rustic boule
Tacky to the touch. Benefits from stretch-and-folds; crumb starts to open up.
For 500 g flour that’s 350 g water.
Hydration by bread style
| Style | Typical hydration |
|---|---|
| Bagels, pretzels | 50–58% |
| Sandwich loaf, rolls | 60–65% |
| Neapolitan pizza | 58–65% |
| New York pizza | 60–65% |
| Baguette | 65–75% |
| Country sourdough | 70–80% |
| Whole wheat sourdough | 78–88% |
| Ciabatta, focaccia | 75–90% |
Flour matters as much as the number. Strong, high-protein flour holds more water; so do whole grain and rye, which absorb water into bran and pentosans. The same 75% that makes a manageable whole wheat loaf can turn soupy with low-protein all-purpose flour. Plan your pizza dough or full formula with that in mind.
Questions bakers ask
How do you calculate bread hydration?
Hydration = total water ÷ total flour × 100. 350 g water in 500 g flour is 70%. Include the water in your starter, milk and eggs if you want the number to match how the dough really feels.
What hydration should pizza dough be?
Neapolitan pizza baked at 450 °C+ usually sits at 58–65%. New York style runs about 60–65%, pan and Detroit style 70–75%, and Roman pizza al taglio can go past 80%. Home ovens often benefit from 65–70% because the bake is longer.
What is a good sourdough hydration?
Most open-crumb country loaves are 72–80% counting the starter. Beginners do well around 70%. Whole wheat loaves can take 80–85% and still hold shape.
How much water is in milk, eggs and butter?
Using USDA FoodData Central values rounded for baking: whole milk is about 87% water, whole eggs about 75%, egg whites 88%, butter about 16% and heavy cream about 58%. The calculator uses these to find effective hydration.
My dough is too wet. How much flour do I add?
Use the “fix a dough” tab: enter the flour and water already in the bowl and the hydration you want. It tells you exactly how much flour (or water) to add to get there.