Hydration × flour

78% Hydration Khorasan (Kamut) Flour

Noticeably open, shiny crumb. Irregular medium-to-large holes. Glossy cell walls. Moist texture.

⚠ Outside Khorasan (Kamut) Flour's typical range (6070%) — read below for handling

Is 78% hydration right for Khorasan (Kamut) Flour?

Khorasan (Kamut) Flour's workable hydration range is 6070%. Its absorption multiplier is 0.97× bread flour. 78% is above Khorasan (Kamut) Flour's typical range. The dough will be slack and may not hold shape in a free-form hearth loaf. Either reduce hydration to 70%, or blend Khorasan (Kamut) Flour (40–60%) with bread flour for structural support.

Absorption math for Khorasan (Kamut) Flour at 78%

A recipe written for bread flour at 78% hydration, when substituted with 100% Khorasan (Kamut) Flour, becomes 76% effective hydration (because Khorasan (Kamut) Flour absorbs 3% less water). Medium autolyse (30-45 min). 3 stretch-and-folds max. Similar handling to emmer. Pairs beautifully with whole wheat at 50/50 ratio for depth without density.

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% Khorasan (Kamut) 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.

Open 80% hydration guide →

Sources: Kamut International — Khorasan wheat specifications; Hamelman, Bread (3rd ed.); Robertson, Tartine Bread.