Autolyse is a 20-90 minute resting stage where flour and water are mixed and allowed to sit before salt and levain are added. It develops extensibility and reduces required mixing.

How long should autolyse be?

Bread flour: 30-45 minutes. Whole wheat: 60-90 minutes. Spelt/einkorn: 15-20 minutes (gluten degrades quickly in ancient wheats).

Autolyse Calculator

Autolyse is the flour + water rest before adding salt and levain. The table below shows the water weights for common flour amounts at 70-85% hydration targets.

Autolyse water by flour weight

Flour (g)	70% water	75% water	80% water	85% water
250	175	188	200	213
500	350	375	400	425
750	525	563	600	638
1000	700	750	800	850

Use 90% of total recipe water for autolyse; reserve 10% for incorporating salt and levain afterward. Mix flour + autolyse water, rest, then add remaining water + salt + levain.

How long to autolyse?

Bread flour: 30-45 min. Extends gluten, reduces mix time.
Whole wheat: 60-90 min. Bran needs time to hydrate.
Rye (any): Skip autolyse. Mix once and rest; autolyse damages rye structure.
Spelt / einkorn: 15-20 min max. Ancient-wheat gluten degrades quickly.
Type 00: 15-20 min. Fine grind hydrates fast.

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.

Digital kitchen scale (0.1 g)
Baker's percentage is by weight, not volume — a 0.1 g scale is what makes the math on this page accurate.
View on Amazon →
Dutch oven / combo cooker
Traps steam for the first bake phase — the single biggest factor in oven spring and a blistered, glossy crust.
View on Amazon →
Banneton proofing basket
Wicks moisture and holds shape during the final proof, so high-hydration dough doesn't spread flat.
View on Amazon →
Bread lame + bench scraper
A sharp lame scores clean ears; a steel bench scraper handles wet, sticky dough without tearing the gluten.
View on Amazon →
High-protein bread flour
The math assumes ~12–14% protein. Real bread flour absorbs the hydration you calculate — all-purpose won't.
View on Amazon →
Danish dough whisk
Mixes shaggy, high-hydration dough in seconds without the gluey mess of a spoon or your hands.
View on Amazon →

🎧 Or learn the craft by ear

The numbers here are the what; a good baking book is the why. An Audible trial gets you any title free — Michael Pollan’s Cooked(the “Air” chapter is the best story ever told about why bread rises) is a perfect first listen.

Start a free Audible trial →

As an Amazon Associate, SourdoughHydration earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. More on how this is funded.

Gear guides — what actually matters