Hydration × flour
60% Hydration Durum Semolina
Tight to moderately tight crumb. Small to medium cells. Firm chew. Good for sandwich loaves.
⚠ Outside Durum Semolina's typical range (65–72%) — read below for handling
Is 60% hydration right for Durum Semolina?
Durum Semolina's workable hydration range is 65–72%. Its absorption multiplier is 1.02× bread flour. 60% is below Durum Semolina's typical range. The dough will be stiff and hard to fully develop. Consider moving up to 65% for better extensibility.
Absorption math for Durum Semolina at 60%
A recipe written for bread flour at 60% hydration, when substituted with 100% Durum Semolina, becomes 61% effective hydration (because Durum Semolina absorbs 2% more water). Long autolyse (60+ min) — durum is slow to hydrate fully. Firm dough: 68-72% hydration max. Use coil folds rather than stretch-and-folds. Shape with wet hands. Excellent for pan di Altamura-style boule shaping.
Technique at 60% hydration
Firm but pliable dough. Good for shaping into specific forms (tortillas, muffins, pizza). Less sensitive to mistakes than higher hydrations. Handles well with minimal flour on work surface.
Calculator pre-set to 60%
Weights below assume 100% Durum Semolina. For blends, use the main calculator on a recipe page.
- Flour to add
- 450 g
- Water to add
- 250 g
- Salt
- 10 g
- Levain @ 100%
- 100 g
- Total dough
- 810 g
- Effective hydration
- 60%
How the math works
Total water = flour × hydration %. Your levain contributes 50 g flour + 50 g water — both count toward the totals. You add only the remainder as fresh flour and water.
Salt % is computed on total flour weight, not final-dough flour.