Hydration × flour
78% Hydration Organic Bread Flour
Noticeably open, shiny crumb. Irregular medium-to-large holes. Glossy cell walls. Moist texture.
⚠ Outside Organic Bread Flour's typical range (64–77%) — read below for handling
Is 78% hydration right for Organic Bread Flour?
Organic Bread Flour's workable hydration range is 64–77%. Its absorption multiplier is 0.99× bread flour. 78% is above Organic Bread Flour's typical range. The dough will be slack and may not hold shape in a free-form hearth loaf. Either reduce hydration to 77%, or blend Organic Bread Flour (40–60%) with bread flour for structural support.
Absorption math for Organic Bread Flour at 78%
A recipe written for bread flour at 78% hydration, when substituted with 100% Organic Bread Flour, becomes 77% effective hydration (because Organic Bread Flour absorbs 1% less water). Same as conventional bread flour but allow 2-3% more proofing time (slightly weaker gluten on some batches). Autolyse 45-60 min. 3-4 stretch-and-folds.
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
| Organic 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 Organic 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.
Organic Bread Flour at 78% — FAQ
How much water do I use for Organic Bread Flour at 78% hydration?
Multiply the flour weight by 0.78. For a 500 g batch of Organic Bread Flour that's 390 g water, plus about 10 g salt (2%). Organic Bread Flour absorbs 0.99× as much water as white bread flour, so it behaves close to a straight bread-flour dough.
Is 78% hydration right for Organic Bread Flour?
78% is above Organic Bread Flour's usual 64–77% range — the dough will be slack and may spread. Reduce toward 77%, or blend Organic Bread Flour (40–60%) with bread flour for structure.
What crumb will Organic 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 Organic 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% Organic 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.