Hydration × flour
72% Hydration Italian Type 00 Flour
Increasingly open crumb, medium-to-large cells. Classic Pain au Levain territory. Chewy crust with moist interior.
⚠ Outside Italian Type 00 Flour's typical range (58–68%) — read below for handling
Is 72% hydration right for Italian Type 00 Flour?
Italian Type 00 Flour's workable hydration range is 58–68%. Its absorption multiplier is 1.01× bread flour. 72% is above Italian Type 00 Flour's typical range. The dough will be slack and may not hold shape in a free-form hearth loaf. Either reduce hydration to 68%, or blend Italian Type 00 Flour (40–60%) with bread flour for structural support.
Absorption math for Italian Type 00 Flour at 72%
A recipe written for bread flour at 72% hydration, when substituted with 100% Italian Type 00 Flour, becomes 73% effective hydration (because Italian Type 00 Flour absorbs 1% more water). Minimal autolyse (15-20 min) — fine grind hydrates quickly. For Neapolitan pizza: 60-62% hydration, 24-48h cold bulk, short proof, extreme heat bake. For bread: treat like AP or bread flour depending on protein spec.
Technique at 72% hydration
Dough requires strong gluten development (3-4 stretch-and-folds or coil folds). Shaping benefits from cold retard. Handle with wet hands or flour-dusted bench scraper.
Calculator pre-set to 72%
Weights below assume 100% Italian Type 00 Flour. For blends, use the main calculator on a recipe page.
- Flour to add
- 450 g
- Water to add
- 310 g
- Salt
- 10 g
- Levain @ 100%
- 100 g
- Total dough
- 870 g
- Effective hydration
- 72%
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.