Sourdough Hydration Calculator ·
Start with the dough weight
Add the weights of every ingredient in your formula. For 500 g flour, 350 g water, 100 g starter and 10 g salt, the total is 960 g dough. To make two 800 g dough pieces, target 1,600 g. This is an arithmetic example; use a proven formula and suitable loaf size for your equipment.
Calculate one scaling factor
Divide target dough weight by original dough weight: 1,600 ÷ 960 = 1.6667. Multiply every ingredient by that same factor. Before rounding, the scaled formula is 833.33 g flour, 583.33 g water, 166.67 g starter and 16.67 g salt. The sum remains 1,600 g.
Why hydration stays the same
The original starter contributes 50 g flour and 50 g water. Original hydration is 400 ÷ 550 × 100 = 72.73%. Scaling all ingredients equally multiplies both total flour and total water by the same factor, so their ratio stays unchanged. Use the same starter hydration; replacing it with a stiffer starter changes the result.
Round only at the end
For a scale reading whole grams, 833 g flour, 583 g water, 167 g starter and 17 g salt total 1,600 g. Small rounding differences are normal. For smaller batches, a more precise scale helps with salt. Do not round intermediate calculations repeatedly or scale just the flour and water while leaving salt and starter unchanged.
Dough weight is not baked weight
Baking removes moisture, and losses vary with loaf shape and baking conditions. An 800 g dough piece will not produce an 800 g finished loaf. Scaling also does not mean multiplying fermentation time or oven time. Monitor the dough and adapt your mixing container, proofing space and bake to the new batch. Save the scaled formula and your observations for the next bake.