Hydration × flour
90% Hydration Bread Flour
Near-liquid dough territory. Extremely open, almost hollow crumb. Produces 'glass bread' effect.
⚠ Outside Bread Flour's typical range (65–78%) — read below for handling
Is 90% hydration right for Bread Flour?
Bread Flour's workable hydration range is 65–78%. Its absorption multiplier is 1× bread flour. 90% is above 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 78%, or blend Bread Flour (40–60%) with bread flour for structural support.
Absorption math for Bread Flour at 90%
A recipe written for bread flour at 90% hydration, when substituted with 100% Bread Flour, becomes 90% effective hydration (because Bread Flour matches bread flour absorption). Autolyse 30-60 minutes with water at target dough temperature before adding levain and salt. For 75-80% hydration, add 3-4 sets of stretch-and-folds over the first 2 hours of bulk. Higher hydration (82%+) benefits from coil folds instead of stretch-and-folds. Shape cold (after overnight retard) for easier handling and better ear.
Technique at 90% hydration
Dough handling requires constant wet hands, bench scrapers, and oiled surfaces. Include 5% olive oil for lubrication. Pan-baked only. Expert-level technique.
Calculator pre-set to 90%
Weights below assume 100% Bread Flour. For blends, use the main calculator on a recipe page.
- Flour to add
- 450 g
- Water to add
- 400 g
- Salt
- 10 g
- Levain @ 100%
- 100 g
- Total dough
- 960 g
- Effective hydration
- 90%
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.