# Dough Hydration Calculator

URL: https://speedycalculator.com/calculators/food/dough-hydration/
Last updated: 2026-10-25

> The dough hydration calculator finds the hydration percentage of bread or pizza dough from the flour and water weights, including water and flour in a sourdough starter.

## Inputs

- Flour (g, mg, kg, oz, lb)
- Water (g, mg, kg, oz, lb)
- Sourdough starter (g, mg, kg, oz, lb)
- Starter hydration (%)

## Results

- Flour in starter
- Water in starter
- Dough hydration

## Formula

```
Hydration = total water ÷ total flour × 100
```

## Explanation

Hydration controls dough texture: higher hydration gives an open, airy crumb but stickier dough.

### How to use the Dough Hydration Calculator

- **Flour**
- **Water**
- **Sourdough starter**
- **Starter hydration**

Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.

### How it works

A starter at 100% hydration contributes equal weights of flour and water, which are added to the totals.

### Inputs explained

FieldWhat to enterFlourUnits: g, mg, kg, oz, lbWaterUnits: g, mg, kg, oz, lbSourdough starterUnits: g, mg, kg, oz, lbStarter hydrationIn %

### What each result means

- **Flour in starter** = [Sourdough starter]÷(1 + [Starter hydration]÷100)
- **Water in starter** = [Sourdough starter] - [Flour in starter]
- **Dough hydration** = ([Water] + [Water in starter])÷([Flour] + [Flour in starter])×100

### Example values

How the main result changes when **Flour** changes and everything else stays at the example values above:

Flour (g)Dough hydration (%)250133.337594.150072.762559.3750501,00038.1

## Worked example

Inputs — Flour: 500 g; Water: 350 g; Sourdough starter: 100 g; Starter hydration: 100 %.

Results — Flour in starter = 50 g; Water in starter = 50 g; **Dough hydration = 72.7 %**.

## FAQ

**Does milk count as water?**
Partly; milk is about 87% water.

**What hydration is good for Neapolitan pizza?**
About 58–65%.

**What formula does the Dough Hydration Calculator use?**
Hydration = total water ÷ total flour × 100.