How do you calculate true hydration in sourdough?
True hydration counts every drop of water in the dough — added water, the water inside your starter or levain, and hidden water inside ingredients like milk (87% water), eggs (75%) and butter (16%). It is divided by the total flour, which is your base flour plus the flour inside the starter: ((Added Water + Starter Water + Hidden Water) ÷ (Base Flour + Starter Flour)) × 100. This calculator sets the added water so your true hydration always matches the slider.
What is Baker's Percentage?
In Baker's Percentage every ingredient is expressed as a percentage of the total flour weight, and total flour is always 100%. Salt at 2% means 2 grams of salt per 100 grams of flour. Because the starter also contains flour and water, this calculator adds those into the totals automatically so percentages stay mathematically exact.
How does the Desired Dough Temperature calculator work?
During mixing, friction from kneading warms the dough. To hit a target dough temperature (typically 24–26°C), the water must compensate: Water = (DDT × 3) − (Room + Flour + Friction). Choose your mixing method (hand, stand mixer, or spiral) and the calculator returns the exact water temperature, warning you when the water would need to be below freezing.
What do the bread presets change?
Each preset loads a baker-tested hydration and ingredient set: Bagel and Brioche at 55% (tight crumb), Pizza at 62% (moderate), Sourdough at 72% and Ciabatta/Focaccia at 80% (open, airy crumb). Brioche also adds butter and eggs, so the engine accounts for their hidden water automatically. The hydration slider, ingredient list and crumb preview all update together.
What is the difference between standard hydration and true hydration?
Standard hydration only divides the water you pour in by the flour you add. It ignores the water already living inside your starter, plus the hidden water inside milk, eggs or butter — so your real dough is almost always wetter than you think. True hydration counts every drop: added water plus starter water plus hidden ingredient water, all divided by total flour (base flour plus starter flour). Our engine back-calculates the added water so your true hydration always matches exactly — giving you precise, reproducible results on every bake.
How do I calculate baker's percentages when including a starter?
In Baker's Percentage, base flour is always 100%. When a starter is involved the math gets fiddly, because the starter itself carries flour and water: Total Flour = Base Flour + Starter Flour. Every other ingredient — added water, salt and any extras — is expressed as a percentage of that total flour, and the starter's water joins the dough's total water. This calculator automates the whole thing: it extracts the starter flour and water for you, keeps total flour strictly 100%, and updates every percentage instantly as you adjust your starter weight or hydration.
What is the best hydration level for an open crumb sourdough?
Most open, airy crumb happens between 75% and 80% hydration. At those levels the dough spreads more, so strong gluten development and gentle handling matter — but the reward is a dramatic, holey crumb. Our Ciabatta/Focaccia preset loads 80% and the Sourdough preset sits at 72%, both one tap away. Pick a preset, then nudge the hydration slider between 75% and 80% and watch the crumb preview respond instantly — the exact flour and water amounts recalculate automatically.
Can I scale a recipe based on how much leftover starter I have?
Yes — that's exactly what the zero-waste optimization tool is for. Instead of building a recipe and discarding excess starter, tell the calculator how much starter you have on hand and it back-calculates the precise flour and water you need to consume all of it. Nothing gets thrown away: every other ingredient scales automatically around your leftover starter, and the totals update in real time.