What does 80% hydration mean in sourdough?

80% hydration means the dough contains 80 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 80% hydration?

Focaccia, Focaccia Genovese, Whole Wheat Loaf. See each style's page for the full recipe formula.

How do I convert 80% hydration into grams of water?

Multiply total flour weight by 0.8. For example, 500g flour × 0.8 = 400g water. Use the calculator below to handle salt, levain, and starter-discount math automatically.

Hydration reference · advanced

Sourdough at80% hydration

Very open irregular crumb with large holes. Very moist, glossy. Focaccia-like texture when pan-baked.

Typical styles: Focaccia · Focaccia Genovese · Whole Wheat Loaf

Share on X

What does 80% hydration look like?

Very open irregular crumb with large holes. Very moist, glossy. Focaccia-like texture when pan-baked.

Technique for 80% dough

Dough is sticky and slack. Requires 4+ coil folds. Wet hands throughout all handling. Shape only after cold retard. Free-form shaping becomes difficult — consider pan shapes.

Try the calculator at 80% 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: 350 g
Salt: 10 g
Levain @ 100%: 100 g
Total dough: 910 g
Effective hydration: 80%

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 80% hydration guide →

Popular recipes at 80% hydration

How to convert 80% to grams of water

Multiply total flour weight by 0.8. For a 500g flour dough at 80% hydration, that is 400 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.

78% hydration — one step drier — tighter crumb, easier shaping, less open structure
82% hydration — one step wetter — more open crumb, more technique, longer bulk
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.
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