Uploaded July 2020 | Updated September 2026, 5 days ago
With this simple hack you will always master choosing the perfect hydration and water amount for your sourdough bread. Every flour is unique and every flour requires a different level of hydration. This means you have to figure out how much water to use every time you use a new flour.
With this simple hack you will know exactly how much water to use for your flour. No more sticky dough, no more too flat breads.
Prepare several doughs with just alternating water amount. I recommend you to prepare 5 different doughs, 60% water, meaning 60 grams of water per 100 grams flour. Then 4 more, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%. In this video I am preparing one which has 85%, because the flour itself has quite a lot of protein. I recommend you do use a little less flour than 100 grams, then you have less waste. I took 40 grams of flour as a basis. Stir everything together and then wait for 30 minutes. This is called autolysis. With wetted hands test each of the doughs to see if the dough holds together. If it does, that's a safe level of hydration. If it tears, nope, a too high water amount for your dough.
Now when you figured out your formula I recommend to go a little lower in terms of water content if you are a beginner. The higher the hydration the better technique you need to have.
Flour I am using:
Blog article on different flours in Germany: thbrco.io/blog-flour
Drax Mühle Manitoba flour 14% protein: thbrco.io/drax-flour
For ze Germans - T550 at Rewe 11-12% protein: thbrco.io/rewe-aurora
Mulino Padano 15% protein: thbrco.io/mulino-flour
Strong whole wheat flour: thbrco.io/whole-wheat-flour
Follow me here too:
Github: thbrco.io/github
Instagram: thbrco.io/instagram
My blog: thbrco.io/blog
My website: thbrco.io/homepage
Reddit: thbrco.io/reddit
Subscribe to my newsletter: thbrco.io/newsletter
Telegram: thbrco.io/telegram
Tiktok: thbrco.io/tiktok
Support me/Merchandise:
Get my starter Bread Pitt: thbrco.io/my-starter
The bread themed T-Shirts/Hoodies I designed and wear: thbrco.io/bread-shirts-hoodies
Tools:
Banneton proofing basket (25cm length, 15cm width, 8.5cm height): thbrco.io/banneton
Cooling rack: thbrco.io/cooling-rack
Digital kitchen scale: thbrco.io/kitchen-scale
Dough scraper: thbrco.io/dough-scraper
Dutch oven for batards (Challenger Bread Pan): thbrco.io/dutch-oven-batards
Dutch oven round (Lodge): thbrco.io/dutch-oven-round
Dutch oven with glas lid (Brovn) - BREADCODE = 5% off: thbrco.io/dutch-oven-glas-lid
Infrared thermometer: thbrco.io/infared-meter
Loaf pan (30cm length x 12cm width x 9cm height): thbrco.io/loaf-pan-regular
Loaf pan with lid (34cm length, 13cm width, 12cm height): thbrco.io/loaf-pan-lid
No stick spray (vegetable based): thbrco.io/non-stick-spray
Oven gloves: thbrco.io/oven-gloves
pH meter to check acidity: thbrco.io/ph-meter
Weck starter jars: thbrco.io/weck-jars
Useful videos:
Debaked ep. 1 - Pizza journey to Napoli: thbrco.io/debaked-napoli
Debaked ep. 2 - Journey to a flour mill: thbrco.io/debaked-flour-mill
Discard starter bread: thbrco.io/discard-starter-bread
Fermentation time table: thbrco.io/fermentation-time-table
Make a sourdough starter: thbrco.io/make-sourdough-starter
Make your starter more active: thbrco.io/more-active-starter
Recommend sourdough bread recipe: thbrco.io/sourdough-recipe
Chapters:
0:00 Intro and general considerations
1:14 Preparing the flour
3:25 Adding water
4:03 Mixing
4:55 Testing the doughs
6:54 Suggestions
7:22 Testing a dough using the trick
7:45 Other parameters to consider
With this simple hack you will always master choosing the perfect hydration and water amount for your sourdough bread. Every flour is unique and every flour requires a different level of hydration. This means you have to figure out how much water to use every time you use a new flour.
With this simple hack you will know exactly how much water to use for your flour. No more sticky dough, no more too flat breads.
Prepare several doughs with just alternating water amount. I recommend you to prepare 5 different doughs, 60% water, meaning 60 grams of water per 100 grams flour. Then 4 more, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%. In this video I am preparing one which has 85%, because the flour itself has quite a lot of protein. I recommend you do use a little less flour than 100 grams, then you have less waste. I took 40 grams of flour as a basis. Stir everything together and then wait for 30 minutes. This is called autolysis. With wetted hands test each of the doughs to see if the dough holds together. If it does, that's a safe level of hydration. If it tears, nope, a too high water amount for your dough.
Now when you figured out your formula I recommend to go a little lower in terms of water content if you are a beginner. The higher the hydration the better technique you need to have.
Flour I am using:
Blog article on different flours in Germany: thbrco.io/blog-flour
Drax Mühle Manitoba flour 14% protein: thbrco.io/drax-flour
For ze Germans - T550 at Rewe 11-12% protein: thbrco.io/rewe-aurora
Mulino Padano 15% protein: thbrco.io/mulino-flour
Strong whole wheat flour: thbrco.io/whole-wheat-flour
Follow me here too:
Github: thbrco.io/github
Instagram: thbrco.io/instagram
My blog: thbrco.io/blog
My website: thbrco.io/homepage
Reddit: thbrco.io/reddit
Subscribe to my newsletter: thbrco.io/newsletter
Telegram: thbrco.io/telegram
Tiktok: thbrco.io/tiktok
Support me/Merchandise:
Get my starter Bread Pitt: thbrco.io/my-starter
The bread themed T-Shirts/Hoodies I designed and wear: thbrco.io/bread-shirts-hoodies
Tools:
Banneton proofing basket (25cm length, 15cm width, 8.5cm height): thbrco.io/banneton
Cooling rack: thbrco.io/cooling-rack
Digital kitchen scale: thbrco.io/kitchen-scale
Dough scraper: thbrco.io/dough-scraper
Dutch oven for batards (Challenger Bread Pan): thbrco.io/dutch-oven-batards
Dutch oven round (Lodge): thbrco.io/dutch-oven-round
Dutch oven with glas lid (Brovn) - BREADCODE = 5% off: thbrco.io/dutch-oven-glas-lid
Infrared thermometer: thbrco.io/infared-meter
Loaf pan (30cm length x 12cm width x 9cm height): thbrco.io/loaf-pan-regular
Loaf pan with lid (34cm length, 13cm width, 12cm height): thbrco.io/loaf-pan-lid
No stick spray (vegetable based): thbrco.io/non-stick-spray
Oven gloves: thbrco.io/oven-gloves
pH meter to check acidity: thbrco.io/ph-meter
Weck starter jars: thbrco.io/weck-jars
Useful videos:
Debaked ep. 1 - Pizza journey to Napoli: thbrco.io/debaked-napoli
Debaked ep. 2 - Journey to a flour mill: thbrco.io/debaked-flour-mill
Discard starter bread: thbrco.io/discard-starter-bread
Fermentation time table: thbrco.io/fermentation-time-table
Make a sourdough starter: thbrco.io/make-sourdough-starter
Make your starter more active: thbrco.io/more-active-starter
Recommend sourdough bread recipe: thbrco.io/sourdough-recipe
Chapters:
0:00 Intro and general considerations
1:14 Preparing the flour
3:25 Adding water
4:03 Mixing
4:55 Testing the doughs
6:54 Suggestions
7:22 Testing a dough using the trick
7:45 Other parameters to consider
