Bread Hydration Calculator
Fill in the values and the answer updates as you type.
How the Bread Hydration Calculator works
The flour and water inside the starter are counted. A 100% hydration starter is half flour and half water by weight. Hydration = total water ÷ total flour × 100. Most sourdough sits between 65% and 80%. Example: with the default values, total hydration comes to 72.73%.
Inputs and results
The Bread Hydration Calculator takes 5 inputs and gives 5 results.
What you enter
- Flour (g) — starts at 500.
- Water (g) — starts at 350.
- Starter (g) — starts at 100.
- Starter hydration (%) — starts at 100.
- Salt (g) — starts at 10.
What you get
- Total hydration
- Salt (baker's %)
- Starter (baker's %)
- Total flour incl. starter
- Total dough weight
Example: Bread Hydration Calculator with the starting values
With flour 500 g, water 350 g, starter 100 g, starter hydration 100 % and salt 10 g, the calculator returns:
| Total hydration | 72.73% |
|---|---|
| Salt (baker's %) | 1.82% |
| Starter (baker's %) | 18.18% |
| Total flour incl. starter | 550 |
| Total dough weight | 960 |
Change any value above and the results update straight away.
Bread Hydration Calculator FAQ
How do I use the Bread Hydration Calculator?
Enter flour, water, starter and starter hydration in the fields, then read total hydration, salt (baker's %), starter (baker's %) and total flour incl. starter in the result panel. The answer updates as you type, and you can press Calculate or Enter to refresh it. Use “Copy link” to share your exact numbers with someone else.
What does the Bread Hydration Calculator calculate?
Total hydration, salt, and starter percentages for sourdough. It returns total hydration, salt (baker's %), starter (baker's %) and total flour incl. starter from the 5 values you provide.
What values does the Bread Hydration Calculator start with?
It opens with flour 500 g, water 350 g, starter 100 g and starter hydration 100 % so you can see a working result straight away. Replace them with your own numbers, or press Reset to return to these starting values.
Is the Bread Hydration Calculator free and private?
Yes. It is free, needs no account, and runs in your browser, so nothing you type is sent to or stored on our servers. See the Privacy Policy for details.
Can I rely on the Bread Hydration Calculator for important decisions?
Treat the result as a well-rounded estimate. Real situations often have details a general calculator cannot know, so confirm important decisions with a qualified professional. See the Disclaimer for more.