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Dough Hydration Calculator

Formula

The formula to calculate the dough hydration percentage is:

$\text{HP} = \left( \frac{Ww}{Wf} \right) \times 100$

Where:

HP is the hydration percentage (%).
Ww is the weight of the water (grams).
Wf is the weight of the flour (grams).

What is Dough Hydration?

Dough hydration refers to the ratio of water to flour in a bread recipe, expressed as a percentage. It is a critical factor in baking as it impacts the dough’s consistency, the bread’s texture, and the crust’s appearance. Higher hydration results in a looser, stickier dough and a lighter, airier bread with large holes, while lower hydration results in a firmer dough and a denser bread with small holes.

Example Calculation

Let's consider an example:

Weight of Water (Ww): 300 grams
Weight of Flour (Wf): 500 grams

Using the formula to calculate the dough hydration percentage:

$\text{HP} = \left( \frac{300}{500} \right) \times 100 = 60\%$

This means that the dough hydration percentage for this scenario is 60%, indicating a moderately hydrated dough.