Hydration × flour
75% Hydration Bread Flour
Open crumb with distinct holes of varying sizes. Moist, chewy, glossy cell walls. The classic Tartine country-loaf target.
✓ Within Bread Flour's workable range (65–78%)
Is 75% hydration right for Bread Flour?
Bread Flour's workable hydration range is 65–78%. Its absorption multiplier is 1× bread flour. At 75%, you are in the sweet spot — the dough will handle predictably and produce the crumb described above.
Absorption math for Bread Flour at 75%
A recipe written for bread flour at 75% hydration, when substituted with 100% Bread Flour, becomes 75% effective hydration (because Bread Flour matches bread flour absorption). Autolyse 30-60 minutes with water at target dough temperature before adding levain and salt. For 75-80% hydration, add 3-4 sets of stretch-and-folds over the first 2 hours of bulk. Higher hydration (82%+) benefits from coil folds instead of stretch-and-folds. Shape cold (after overnight retard) for easier handling and better ear.
Technique at 75% hydration
The sweet spot for most hearth sourdough. Requires confident stretch-and-folds (3-4 sets). Wet hands essential for shaping. Cold retard improves handling and ear development during scoring.
Calculator pre-set to 75%
Weights below assume 100% Bread Flour. For blends, use the main calculator on a recipe page.
- Flour to add
- 450 g
- Water to add
- 325 g
- Salt
- 10 g
- Levain @ 100%
- 100 g
- Total dough
- 885 g
- Effective hydration
- 75%
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.