What is Bread Hydration?
Bread hydration refers to the ratio of water to flour in bread dough, expressed as a percentage. In baker's percentages, flour is always 100%, and all other ingredients are calculated as percentages of the flour weight. For example, a 70% hydration dough means 700g of water for every 1000g of flour. Hydration percentage dramatically affects the texture, crumb structure, and handling characteristics of your bread.
Understanding Baker's Percentages
Baker's percentages are a standardized way to express bread recipes that makes scaling and adjusting recipes incredibly easy. The system works by setting flour as the baseline at 100%, then expressing all other ingredients as percentages of the flour weight:
Standard Ratios
- • Flour: Always 100%
- • Water: 50-90% (hydration level)
- • Salt: 1.8-2.5% of flour
- • Yeast: 0.5-2% of flour
- • Fat/Oil: 0-5% of flour
Why Use Percentages?
- • Easy to scale recipes up or down
- • Compare different bread formulas
- • Adjust hydration without recalculating
- • Universal language for bakers
- • Maintain consistent ratios
Hydration Levels by Bread Type
Different bread styles require different hydration levels to achieve their characteristic textures and crumb structures:
Low Hydration (50-60%)
Stiff doughs that are easy to handle and shape. Produces tight, even crumb.
- • Bagels: 50-57%
- • Pretzels: 50-55%
- • Sandwich bread: 58-62%
- • Challah: 55-60%
Medium Hydration (60-70%)
Balanced doughs with good structure and moderate open crumb.
- • French bread: 65-70%
- • Sourdough: 65-75%
- • Pizza dough: 60-65%
- • Dinner rolls: 60-65%
High Hydration (70-90%)
Wet, sticky doughs that create open, irregular crumb with large holes.
- • Ciabatta: 75-85%
- • Focaccia: 70-80%
- • No-knead bread: 75-85%
- • Baguette: 70-75%
How Hydration Affects Your Bread
Lower Hydration (50-60%)
Characteristics:
- • Tight, even crumb structure
- • Easy to handle and shape
- • Shorter fermentation times
- • Denser texture
- • Good for sandwich bread
Best for:
- • Beginner bakers
- • Shaped breads (braids, rolls)
- • Breads requiring structure
- • Quick mixing methods
Higher Hydration (70-85%)
Characteristics:
- • Open, irregular crumb with holes
- • Sticky, difficult to handle
- • Longer fermentation needed
- • Lighter, airier texture
- • Crispy crust when baked
Best for:
- • Experienced bakers
- • Artisan breads
- • No-knead methods
- • Rustic, crusty breads
Tips for Working with Different Hydrations
Low Hydration Doughs
- Mixing: Knead thoroughly to develop gluten, as less water means more work needed
- Shaping: Easy to shape into precise forms, holds shape well during proofing
- Proofing: Watch for over-proofing as structure can collapse more easily
- Baking: May need steam in oven to prevent dry crust
High Hydration Doughs
- Mixing: Use stretch-and-fold technique instead of traditional kneading
- Handling: Keep hands and surfaces wet or oiled to prevent sticking
- Shaping: Use gentle handling and banneton baskets for support
- Baking: Requires high heat and steam for best oven spring and crust
Adjusting Hydration in Recipes
When adjusting hydration in an existing recipe, make changes gradually and understand how it affects your bread:
Increasing Hydration (+5-10%)
Add more water gradually during mixing. Expect stickier dough, longer fermentation, more open crumb, and need for different handling techniques like stretch-and-fold.
Decreasing Hydration (-5-10%)
Reduce water amount. Dough will be stiffer, easier to handle, require more kneading, and produce tighter crumb. Useful if dough is too sticky to work with.
Flour Type Matters
Different flours absorb water differently. Whole wheat and rye absorb more water than white flour. Bread flour absorbs more than all-purpose. Adjust hydration based on flour type.