Hydration × flour
78% Hydration First Clear Flour
Noticeably open, shiny crumb. Irregular medium-to-large holes. Glossy cell walls. Moist texture.
✓ Within First Clear Flour's workable range (66–78%)
Is 78% hydration right for First Clear Flour?
First Clear Flour's workable hydration range is 66–78%. Its absorption multiplier is 1.03× bread flour. At 78%, you are in the sweet spot — the dough will handle predictably and produce the crumb described above.
Absorption math for First Clear Flour at 78%
A recipe written for bread flour at 78% hydration, when substituted with 100% First Clear Flour, becomes 80% effective hydration (because First Clear Flour absorbs 3% more water). Treat it as a strengthening flour, not a standalone. In rye blends, follow the rye's handling (short bulk, minimal knead). For bagels, work stiff and low-hydration. Its slightly weaker gluten rewards gentle, thorough mixing over aggressive kneading.
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.
Calculator pre-set to 78%
Weights below assume 100% First Clear 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.