Hydration × flour
78% Hydration White Whole Wheat Flour
Noticeably open, shiny crumb. Irregular medium-to-large holes. Glossy cell walls. Moist texture.
Within White Whole Wheat Flour's workable range (72–82%)
Is 78% hydration right for White Whole Wheat Flour?
White Whole Wheat Flour's workable hydration range is 72–82%. Its absorption multiplier is 1.06× bread flour. At 78%, you are in the sweet spot — the dough will handle predictably and produce the crumb described above.
Absorption math for White Whole Wheat Flour at 78%
A recipe written for bread flour at 78% hydration, when substituted with 100% White Whole Wheat Flour, becomes 83% effective hydration (because White Whole Wheat Flour absorbs 6% more water). Same autolyse approach as red whole wheat (60-90 min) but slightly shorter. Pairs well with bread flour at 25-30% whole grain for balanced loaves. Increase hydration by 1.5% when substituting for refined bread flour.
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
| White Whole Wheat 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 White Whole Wheat 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.
White Whole Wheat Flour at 78% — FAQ
How much water do I use for White Whole Wheat Flour at 78% hydration?
Multiply the flour weight by 0.78. For a 500 g batch of White Whole Wheat Flour that's 390 g water, plus about 10 g salt (2%). White Whole Wheat Flour absorbs 1.06× as much water as white bread flour, so it will feel a touch stiffer than the 78% number suggests.
Is 78% hydration right for White Whole Wheat Flour?
Yes — White Whole Wheat Flour's workable range is 72–82%, 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 White Whole Wheat 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 White Whole Wheat 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% White Whole Wheat 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.
To bake this recipe you need
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The gear that makes the math work
A short, honest baking kit. The scale matters most — every weight on this page is in grams. The Dutch oven is what turns a good crumb into a great crust.
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White Whole Wheat Flour at every hydration level
White Whole Wheat Flour usually works between 72% and 82% hydration — drier gives a stiffer dough, wetter a slacker one. Tap a level for the technique, the absorption math and a calculator set to it.
| Hydration | Water per 500 g | For White Whole Wheat Flour |
|---|---|---|
| 55% | 275 g | Drier than usual |
| 60% | 300 g | Drier than usual |
| 65% | 325 g | Drier than usual |
| 70% | 350 g | Drier than usual |
| 72% | 360 g | In its range |
| 75% | 375 g | In its range |
| 78%this page | 390 g | In its range |
| 80% | 400 g | In its range |
| 82% | 410 g | In its range |
| 85% | 425 g | Wetter than usual |
| 90% | 450 g | Wetter than usual |
| 95% | 475 g | Wetter than usual |