A visual guide to dough feel
Sourdough Hydration Levels
The complete 60–100% hydration chart: water per 100 g of flour, what each dough feels like, and the breads each level is built for.
60% to 100% at a glance
| Hydration | Water / 100 g flour | Water / 500 g flour | Best for | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60% | 60 g | 300 g | Bagels, stiff sandwich loaves | Bagels, stiff sandwich loaves | ||
| 65% | 65 g | 325 g | Bagels, stiff sandwich loaves | Bagels, stiff sandwich loaves | ||
| 70% | 70 g | 350 g | Classic country loaves, sandwich bread | Classic country loaves, sandwich bread | ||
| 75% | 75 g | 375 g | Classic country loaves, sandwich bread | Classic country loaves, sandwich bread | ||
| 80% | 80 g | 400 g | Open crumb, ciabatta-style | Open crumb, ciabatta-style | ||
| 85% | 85 g | 425 g | Open crumb, ciabatta-style | Open crumb, ciabatta-style | ||
| 90% | 90 g | 450 g | Focaccia, very open country bread | Focaccia, very open country bread | ||
| 95% | 95 g | 475 g | Focaccia, very open country bread | Focaccia, very open country bread | ||
| 100% | 100 g | 500 g | Focaccia, very open country bread | Focaccia, very open country bread | ||
Level deep-dives
70% hydration
The beginner-friendly classic, firm enough to shape by hand.
75% hydration
The open-crumb workhorse most artisan recipes use.
80% hydration
Slack and sticky; coil folds and a scraper required.
85% hydration
Barely shapeable; big, glossy holes when it works.
90% hydration
Focaccia territory, almost batter, shaped in the pan.
The four hydration bands
Low hydration (0–65%)
Stiff, easy-to-handle dough with a tight crumb. Great for beginners and shaped loaves like bagels.
Medium hydration (66–74%)
The classic sandwich-loaf range. Manageable by hand, open enough crumb for everyday bread.
High hydration (75–82%)
Slack, sticky dough with an open, airy crumb. Expect coil folds and a bench scraper.
Very high hydration (83–100+%)
Focaccia territory. Almost batter-like; shaping is done in the pan or with heavy flouring.