What does 85% hydration mean in sourdough?

85% hydration means the dough contains 85 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 85% hydration?

Rye 100, Ciabatta Integrale. See each style's page for the full recipe formula.

How do I convert 85% hydration into grams of water?

Multiply total flour weight by 0.85. For example, 500g flour × 0.85 = 425g water. Use the calculator below to handle salt, levain, and starter-discount math automatically.

Hydration reference · advanced

Sourdough at85% hydration

Extremely open, irregular, moist crumb. Large glossy holes dominate. Very thin, crackling crust.

Typical styles: Rye 100 · Ciabatta Integrale

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What does 85% hydration look like?

Extremely open, irregular, moist crumb. Large glossy holes dominate. Very thin, crackling crust.

Technique for 85% dough

Pan-baked or stretched on floured surface — not bannetoned or shaped. Requires high-protein bread flour (or rye's pentosan structure). Advanced technique territory.

Try the calculator at 85% 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: 375 g
Salt: 10 g
Levain @ 100%: 100 g
Total dough: 935 g
Effective hydration: 85%

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 85% hydration guide →

Popular recipes at 85% hydration

How to convert 85% to grams of water

Multiply total flour weight by 0.85. For a 500g flour dough at 85% hydration, that is 425 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.

82% hydration — one step drier — tighter crumb, easier shaping, less open structure
90% 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.
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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