Hydration × flour
80% Hydration Durum Semolina
Very open irregular crumb with large holes. Very moist, glossy. Focaccia-like texture when pan-baked.
⚠ Outside Durum Semolina's typical range (65–72%) — read below for handling
Is 80% hydration right for Durum Semolina?
Durum Semolina's workable hydration range is 65–72%. Its absorption multiplier is 1.02× bread flour. 80% is above Durum Semolina's typical range. The dough will be slack and may not hold shape in a free-form hearth loaf. Either reduce hydration to 72%, or blend Durum Semolina (40–60%) with bread flour for structural support.
Absorption math for Durum Semolina at 80%
A recipe written for bread flour at 80% hydration, when substituted with 100% Durum Semolina, becomes 82% effective hydration (because Durum Semolina absorbs 2% more water). Long autolyse (60+ min) — durum is slow to hydrate fully. Firm dough: 68-72% hydration max. Use coil folds rather than stretch-and-folds. Shape with wet hands. Excellent for pan di Altamura-style boule shaping.
Technique at 80% hydration
Dough is sticky and slack. Requires 4+ coil folds. Wet hands throughout all handling. Shape only after cold retard. Free-form shaping becomes difficult — consider pan shapes.
Calculator pre-set to 80%
Weights below assume 100% Durum Semolina. For blends, use the main calculator on a recipe page.
- Flour to add
- 450 g
- Water to add
- 350 g
- Salt
- 10 g
- Levain @ 100%
- 100 g
- Total dough
- 910 g
- Effective hydration
- 80%
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.