Dough hydration is one of those topics that seems straightforward at first glance, but quickly reveals itself to be one of the most nuanced aspects of sourdough bread baking. I\u2019ve spent countless mornings at my kitchen counter, hands deep in dough, learning that hydration isn\u2019t just a number in a recipe. It\u2019s a conversation between you and your dough, one that changes with the weather, the flour (most important!), and even the humidity in your kitchen.<\/p>\n
In this guide, I\u2019ll walk you through everything I\u2019ve learned about hydration over years of baking, from the science behind the numbers to practical tips for adjusting on the fly. Whether you\u2019re struggling with sticky dough that clings to everything or wondering why your loaf came out dense and tight, understanding hydration is often the key to unlocking your best bread. I talk about dough hydration quite a bit in my sourdough bread book<\/a>, and this guide expands on this important topic.<\/p>\n Dough hydration represents the total amount of water in your recipe expressed as a percentage of the total flour weight. Hydration is calculated using a simple formula: divide the weight of the water by the total weight of the flour, then multiply by 100.<\/p>\n For example, if your recipe calls for 1,000 grams of flour and 700 grams of water, your hydration is 70% (700 \u00f7 1,000 \u00d7 100 = 70%). This percentage gives us bakers an intuitive way to understand what to expect from their dough before mixing<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the thing I wish someone had told me when I started baking over a decade ago: a dough\u2019s hydration percentage is a guideline, not a rule. Flour is not a static ingredient. It changes from type to type, mill to mill, and even bag to bag.<\/p>\n A dough\u2019s hydration percentage is a guideline, not a rule.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n The weather plays a role, too\u2014though I\u2019ve found it has less impact unless there\u2019s a dramatic shift from day to day (think: dry as a bone to torrential downpour). A dough that is mixed up smooth and elastic on one day might need adjustment the next if it\u2019s raining and extra humid.<\/p>\n A dough\u2019s hydration percentage significantly affects the characteristics of your final loaf. Think of it this way: water is what transforms a pile of dry flour into a living, breathing dough capable of trapping the gases produced during fermentation<\/a>. Too little water, and the dough is tight and resistant. Too much, and it becomes a soupy mess that can\u2019t hold its shape.<\/p>\n Between these two extremes exist many different bread styles, from a lower-hydration loaf with a substantial crust and chewy texture to a high-hydration loaf (like\u00a0My Best Sourdough Bread<\/a>\u00a0recipe) with a brittle crust and a\u00a0custardy interior.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s look at some characteristics of breads near the ends of the extremes (though there are those that go beyond this, too, of course).<\/p>\n When I bake a lower-hydration loaf, I notice:<\/p>\n In contrast, when I push the hydration higher:<\/p>\n In general, my sourdough baking tends to lean toward the higher-hydration end of the spectrum. I enjoy a loaf with a very thin crust, a tender crumb, and a melt-in-your-mouth quality that comes from a dough that is sufficiently hydrated and fully fermented. But this is just my preference, and it may not be yours!<\/p>\n When it comes to highly hydrated doughs, keep in mind there is a line that can be crossed: if the water is pushed too high, the resulting loaf will have an excessively soft texture, won\u2019t retain its structure long after baking, and may stale faster (especially without proper storage<\/a>).<\/p>\n When mixing, I\u2019m always searching for a hydration that\u2019s high enough to achieve the characteristics I\u2019m after, given the flour I\u2019m using, without compromising volume, texture, or eating quality.<\/p>\n So, then, which is better, high-hydration bread or low-hydration bread?<\/p>\n Not necessarily. Pushing a dough hydration to stratospheric numbers just for the sake of it (which was\u2014is<\/em>?\u2014a very common thing out there!) shouldn\u2019t be your end goal. In other words, a higher number doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re making better bread.<\/p>\n Consider the flour you\u2019re using: is it high-extraction (like Type 85) or more whole-grain? Is it known to absorb and want more water for a better end texture? Then by all means, push the water in the dough higher and assess the final bake. If you find the mouthfeel of the crumb and crust improves, you\u2019re moving in the right direction.<\/p>\n But please, don\u2019t go to 100% hydration because it sounds cool\u2014in the end, we need to eat the loaf, right? And if the bread at 100% hydration has a gummy crumb or collapses after a day of proper storage<\/a>, you probably went too far.<\/p>\n One of the most important skills I\u2019ve developed is learning to read my dough<\/em> rather than blindly following numbers. The hydration percentage isn\u2019t as important as how the dough looks and feels in the mixing bowl. What feels like a wet, soupy dough at 70% hydration with one type of flour might feel stiff when using another flour.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s look at three doughs and their hydration: under-hydrated<\/strong>, just right<\/strong>, and over-hydrated<\/strong>. This dough was a slight variation of my\u00a0Beginner\u2019s Sourdough Bread Recipe,<\/a>\u00a0which is mostly comprised of medium-protein white flour\u2014useful for illustrating hydration levels.<\/span><\/p>\n One technique that transformed my baking is bassinage<\/em>\u2014also called \u201cdouble hydration.\u201d Instead of adding all the mixing water up front, I hold some in reserve and add it slowly during the later parts of mixing, after the starches in the flour have started to absorb water and the gluten matrix has begun to develop.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a reader of this site, you\u2019ll be familiar with this technique, as it\u2019s often illustrated in one of my formulas with two waters: Water 1 and Water 2 (the bassinage water).<\/p>\n This approach has several benefits:<\/p>\n If all the water is added at the beginning, especially with higher-hydration recipes, it can be incredibly difficult to efficiently strengthen the dough. When water content becomes too high before any gluten is developed, it\u2019s hard to get enough friction to further develop the gluten network. <\/p>\n By adding most of the water first (usually 80-90% of the total), mixing until the dough shows signs of development, and then slowly adding the remainder, you can push hydration higher without excessively long mix times or running the risk of under-developing the dough.<\/p>\n Holding back water during mixing gives you a chance to assess the dough\u2019s strength near the end and decide if that reserved water should be added or omitted. This is why many of my recipes include \u201cWater 1\u201d (for the levain and autolyse) and \u201cWater 2\u201d (a smaller amount reserved for the final mix used to adjust dough consistency).<\/p>\n A practical tip:<\/strong> If your dough feels incredibly wet, slack, and sloppy after adding Water 1, don\u2019t add the reserved water at all. If the dough feels strong and like it can handle more, add Water 2 slowly while mixing.<\/p>\n Higher-protein flours (12-14% protein, like \u201cbread flour\u201d) can generally absorb more water than lower-protein flours, and often\u00a0need<\/em>\u00a0that extra water to avoid an overly gummy texture.<\/span> The protein forms gluten, which creates a stronger network capable of holding more water. This is why American bread flour, which tends to be higher in protein than flour found elsewhere in the world, often requires increased hydration for the best final texture<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you live in the UK, South America, Europe, or elsewhere in the world, there\u2019s a high chance your flour has a lower protein percentage and is \u201csofter.\u201d This isn\u2019t a bad thing as these flours can result in a spectacular final bread texture. It means a reduced hydration may be necessary to avoid an overly sticky, unmanageable dough.<\/p>\n Recipes with higher percentages of whole wheat, rye, or other whole grains require more water because the bran and germ particles absorb significant moisture. When I bake my Fifty-Fifty Sourdough Bread<\/a> with 50% whole wheat, I push the hydration pretty high to 82%\u2014a level that would be tough to work with if it were 100% white flour.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re working with a recipe that has significant amounts of whole-grain flour, don\u2019t be afraid to really push the dough\u2019s hydration, but be sure to mix in stages using the bassinage technique to safely work the water into the dough.<\/p>\n When making sourdough bread with freshly milled flour, I find it typically requires more hydration than with aged flour. Even if the fresh flour has been sifted to remove some or all of the bran and germ, increasing the hydration is necessary to achieve proper dough consistency.<\/p>\n I live in arid, high-altitude (which dramatically impacts baking<\/a>) New Mexico, which means I typically need higher hydration percentages compared to someone living in a lower-altitude, more humid environment. On rainy days, I often find I need to hold back more water because the flour has already absorbed moisture from the air, though while this is typically minimal, it is something to be aware of.<\/p>\n Sticky dough is one of the most common frustrations I hear about, and it\u2019s often related to hydration, strength, or both. <\/p>\n Here are the most likely causes:<\/p>\n As you increase the dough\u2019s hydration, its stability decreases. Increasing water is like pushing the gluten matrix\u2014the dough\u2019s scaffolding\u2014to its limit. Here\u2019s what I\u2019ve learned about managing high-hydration doughs:<\/p>\nWhat Is Dough Hydration?<\/h2>\n
![\"Hydration](\"https:\/\/www.theperfectloaf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/theperfectloaf_dough_hydration_calculation_example.jpg\")
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![\"Moderately](\"https:\/\/www.theperfectloaf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/theperfectloaf_dough_hydration_guide_moderate_hydration.jpg\")
<\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/noscript><\/a>But, Why Does Hydration Even Matter?<\/h2>\n
Lower-Hydration Bread (60-68%)<\/h3>\n
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Higher-Hydration Bread (75-85%+)<\/h3>\n
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![\"Mixing](\"https:\/\/www.theperfectloaf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/theperfectloaf_dough_hydration_guide_mixing.jpg\")
<\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/noscript><\/a>So, Is High Hydration Bread Better Than Low Hydration Bread?<\/h2>\n
A Visual Guide to Dough Hydration<\/h2>\n
Adding Water in Phases (Bassinage)<\/h2>\n
1. It Makes Gluten Development Easier<\/h3>\n
2. It Gives You a Chance to Judge Dough Strength<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.theperfectloaf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/theperfectloaf_sourdough_dough_hydration_high.jpg\")
<\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/noscript><\/a>Factors That Affect How Much Water Your Dough Needs<\/h2>\n
Flour Type and Protein Content<\/h3>\n
Whole Grain Flours<\/h3>\n
Freshly Milled Flour<\/h3>\n
Climate and Environment<\/h3>\n
![\"Initial](\"https:\/\/www.theperfectloaf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/theperfectloaf_mixing_bread_dough_kneading.jpg\")
<\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/noscript><\/a>Why Is My Bread Dough Always So Sticky?<\/h2>\n
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Tips for Working with High-Hydration Doughs<\/h2>\n
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Hydration Quick Reference Chart<\/h2>\n