Hydration × flour
78% Hydration Bread Flour
Noticeably open, shiny crumb. Irregular medium-to-large holes. Glossy cell walls. Moist texture.
✓ Within Bread Flour's workable range (65–78%)
Is 78% hydration right for Bread Flour?
Bread Flour's workable hydration range is 65–78%. Its absorption multiplier is 1× bread flour. At 78%, you are in the sweet spot — the dough will handle predictably and produce the crumb described above.
Absorption math for Bread Flour at 78%
A recipe written for bread flour at 78% hydration, when substituted with 100% Bread Flour, becomes 78% 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 78% hydration
Upper range of 'standard' hearth hydration. Benefits from high-extraction flour which tolerates the hydration. Use coil folds instead of stretch-and-folds to build structure without deflating. Cold retard mandatory.
Worked water math for a 500 g batch
| Bread Flour | 500 g (100%) |
| Water | 390 g (78%) |
| Salt | 10 g (2%) |
Add your levain on top of these weights; the calculator below subtracts the flour and water it already contributes so the bench numbers land at 78% exactly.
What Bread Flour gives you at 78%
At 78% hydration you can expect a very open, glossy, holey crumb — the signature of a high-hydration hearth loaf. A slack, sticky dough: work with wet hands, use coil folds rather than aggressive stretches, give a full bench rest after pre-shaping, and shape decisively — hesitation lets it spread.
Bread Flour at 78% — FAQ
How much water do I use for Bread Flour at 78% hydration?
Multiply the flour weight by 0.78. For a 500 g batch of Bread Flour that's 390 g water, plus about 10 g salt (2%). Bread Flour absorbs 1× as much water as white bread flour, so it behaves close to a straight bread-flour dough.
Is 78% hydration right for Bread Flour?
Yes — Bread Flour's workable range is 65–78%, and 78% sits inside it, so the dough handles predictably and gives a very open, glossy, holey crumb — the signature of a high-hydration hearth loaf.
What crumb will Bread Flour at 78% give me?
Expect a very open, glossy, holey crumb — the signature of a high-hydration hearth loaf. Noticeably open, shiny crumb. Irregular medium-to-large holes. Glossy cell walls. Moist texture.
Is Bread Flour at 78% beginner-friendly?
This hydration is rated intermediate. A slack, sticky dough: work with wet hands, use coil folds rather than aggressive stretches, give a full bench rest after pre-shaping, and shape decisively — hesitation lets it spread.
Calculator pre-set to 78%
Weights below assume 100% Bread Flour. For blends, use the main calculator on a recipe page.
- Flour to add
- 450 g
- Water to add
- 340 g
- Salt
- 10 g
- Levain @ 100%
- 100 g
- Total dough
- 900 g
- Effective hydration
- 78%
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.