What does 55% hydration mean in sourdough?

55% hydration means the dough contains 55 grams of water for every 100 grams of flour, by weight. It is a baker's-percentage convention: flour is always 100%, and other ingredients are expressed as a percentage of the total flour weight.

Which sourdough styles use 55% hydration?

Bagel, Pretzel Sourdough, Brioche, Challah Sourdough, Panettone Sourdough. See each style's page for the full recipe formula.

How do I convert 55% hydration into grams of water?

Multiply total flour weight by 0.55. For example, 500g flour × 0.55 = 275g water. Use the calculator below to handle salt, levain, and starter-discount math automatically.

Hydration reference · beginner

Sourdough at55% hydration

Very tight, fine, uniform crumb with small cells. Cake-like chew. No holes. Dense but tender.

Typical styles: Bagel · Pretzel Sourdough · Brioche · Challah Sourdough · Panettone Sourdough

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What does 55% hydration look like?

Very tight, fine, uniform crumb with small cells. Cake-like chew. No holes. Dense but tender.

Technique for 55% dough

Stiff dough, easy to handle. Use stand mixer for enriched versions. Low-hydration doughs tolerate mistakes well — good starting point for new bakers. Appropriate for pan-shaped loaves, enriched breads, and styles requiring dense texture like bagels and pretzels.

Try the calculator at 55% hydration

Adjust the target hydration, salt, and levain below. All outputs update as you type, with starter discount applied.

Total flour(g)

Target hydration(%)

Salt(%)

Levain of flour(%)

Levain hydration(%)

Flour to add: 450 g
Water to add: 225 g
Salt: 10 g
Levain @ 100%: 100 g
Total dough: 785 g
Effective hydration: 55%

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 55% hydration guide →

Popular recipes at 55% hydration

How to convert 55% to grams of water

Multiply total flour weight by 0.55. For a 500g flour dough at 55% hydration, that is 275 g of water.

Remember that the levain contributes some of the flour and water. The calculator above subtracts the levain's contribution automatically so the numbers you weigh on the counter are the real ones.

60% hydration — one step drier — tighter crumb, easier shaping, less open structure
Reverse calculator: water → hydration % — you know the water weight, want the hydration
Guide: how to choose hydration — matching hydration to flour, style, and skill level
Guide: baker's percentage explained — the math underlying every formula on this page
All 12 hydration levels — 55% through 95%, side by side

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