Pan de Cristal ('glass bread') is the Spanish extreme-hydration hearth bread. 95%+ hydration produces a crumb so open it's nearly hollow — hence 'glass.' The dough includes 5% olive oil, which lubricates the extreme hydration and allows handling. Very difficult for beginners; requires wet-hand and bench-scraper technique throughout.
- Hydration
- 95%
- Salt
- 2.00%
- Levain
- 10–15%
- Bulk @ 76°F
- 4.00h
- Proof @ 76°F
- 1.00h
- Bake temp
- 500°F
- Bake time
- 20m
- Vessel
- sheet pan
Flour mix
- bread flour — 100%
Technique
Mix in stand mixer: all flour, 60% of water, oil, salt, levain. Gradually add remaining water over 5-10 min while mixing until dough is fully developed but extremely loose. 4 sets of coil folds every 30 min in first 2h, then rest for 2 more hours. Gently tip onto heavily oiled sheet pan. Cut into 4-6 rectangles with oiled bench scraper. Short 1h proof. Bake 500°F with steam, 18-22 min.
Calculator pre-set to Pan de Cristal's target (95%)
Adjust the slider for personal preference within the workable 90–105% range.
- Flour to add
- 450 g
- Water to add
- 425 g
- Salt
- 10 g
- Levain @ 100%
- 100 g
- Total dough
- 985 g
- Effective hydration
- 95%
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.
Related references on this site
- 95% hydration reference page — crumb structure, technique notes, other recipes at this hydration
- Flour spec: bread flour — protein, ash, absorption — 100% of this recipe's mix
- Hydration deep-dive for this recipe — workable range 90–105%
- Timing by kitchen temperature — bulk + proof times at 60-90°F using Modernist Bread multipliers
- Guide: baker's percentage explained — the math underlying every formula on this page
- All 25 recipes — grouped by category (lean, enriched, hearth, pan)
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)View on Amazon →
- Dutch oven / combo cookerView on Amazon →
- Banneton proofing basketView on Amazon →
- Bread lame + bench scraperView on Amazon →
- High-protein bread flourView on Amazon →
- Danish dough whiskView on Amazon →
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