What hydration should I use with Emmer Flour (Farro)?

65-75% is the standard range. Middle of the range (70%) is a safe starting point.

Can I use Emmer Flour (Farro) for open-crumb hearth loaves?

Emmer Flour (Farro) is best at 65-75% hydration — lower than the 75-82% open-crumb target. Blend with bread flour (20-40% Emmer Flour (Farro) / remainder bread flour) for open crumb with Emmer Flour (Farro)'s flavor.

Hydration guide

Emmer Flour (Farro) Hydration Guide

Workable range: 65–75% · Absorption: 0.950× bread flour · Midpoint target: 70%

How Emmer Flour (Farro) behaves at each hydration

Emmer (Triticum dicoccum, known as farro medio in Italy) is an ancient hulled wheat, intermediate between einkorn and modern wheat in gluten behavior. Absorption is 5% less than bread flour. Flavor is nutty and earthy, more robust than spelt but gentler than whole wheat. Jovial Foods and Central Milling both offer emmer. Use at 25-50% in blends for complex flavor profiles. Popular in Tuscan-style hearth breads and rustic Italian loaves. Supports hydration up to 75% but no higher.

Substituting Emmer Flour (Farro) for bread flour

Absorption multiplier: 0.950×. When substituting for bread flour, subtract about 5% water. For example: a 75% bread-flour recipe becomes 71% when using 100% Emmer Flour (Farro).

The calculator below is pre-set to 70%. Adjust the slider to match your target. Salt and levain percentages are the flour-independent defaults (2.0% and 20%).

Technique at target hydration

Medium autolyse (30-45 min). 2-3 gentle stretch-and-folds. Moderately extended bulk (similar to bread flour). Emmer tolerates retarded proofing well. Pair with 20-30% bread flour for structure support in free-form hearth loaves.

Calculator pre-set to 70%

Total flour(g)

Target hydration(%)

Salt(%)

Levain of flour(%)

Levain hydration(%)

Flour to add: 450 g
Water to add: 300 g
Salt: 10 g
Levain @ 100%: 100 g
Total dough: 860 g
Effective hydration: 70%

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.

Open 70% hydration guide →

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.
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Dutch oven / combo cooker
Traps steam for the first bake phase — the single biggest factor in oven spring and a blistered, glossy crust.
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Banneton proofing basket
Wicks moisture and holds shape during the final proof, so high-hydration dough doesn't spread flat.
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Bread lame + bench scraper
A sharp lame scores clean ears; a steel bench scraper handles wet, sticky dough without tearing the gluten.
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High-protein bread flour
The math assumes ~12–14% protein. Real bread flour absorbs the hydration you calculate — all-purpose won't.
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Danish dough whisk
Mixes shaggy, high-hydration dough in seconds without the gluey mess of a spoon or your hands.
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🎧 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 →

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Gear guides — what actually matters