Hydration is the water in a dough as a percentage of the flour — the number that best describes how a bread will behave.
Where
| Water weight | All water in the dough |
| Flour weight | All flour in the dough |
Worked example
350 g water with 500 g flour is 350 ÷ 500 × 100 = 70% hydration.
FAQ
Does flour type affect how hydration percentage feels in the dough? Yes. Different flours absorb water differently based on protein content and milling, so two doughs at the same calculated hydration percentage can feel noticeably different depending on the flour used.
Should other liquid ingredients count toward hydration percentage? Yes, any liquid in the recipe, such as milk, eggs, or oil, should be included in the total liquid weight used to calculate hydration percentage, not just the water.
Use the Bread Hydration Calculator and compare styles in the Bread Hydration Chart.