70% hydration sourdough
At 70% hydration the dough is tacky but easy to handle, giving a balanced, moderately open crumb — the everyday sweet spot most home bakers settle on.
Pre-set to 70% — change the flour or starter and the water re-solves. Unlock hydration to explore other targets.
Show the math
- Locked at 70% and starter-aware — the water shown already subtracts the water in your starter.
- Adjust flour, starter or salt for your batch; copy or print the result.
What is 70% hydration sourdough like?
How a 70% dough handles
At 70% the dough is tacky but not sticky — it clings lightly to your fingers and releases cleanly off a lightly floured bench. It has enough slack to develop a nice open structure yet still holds a shape when you build tension in it. This is the range where most people stop fighting their dough and start enjoying it, which is exactly why it is the everyday default.
Flour and crumb
Bread flour is ideal at 70%, though a strong all-purpose will cope. The crumb lands in the middle: moderately open with a mix of small and medium holes, soft but with structure. It is the loaf that looks great cut open and still makes a fine sandwich the next day — a genuine all-rounder rather than a specialist.
Technique notes
Three sets of stretch-and-folds in the first 90 minutes build plenty of strength. Timing is forgiving here, so 70% is the perfect place to practise reading your dough — learning what a properly bulk-fermented dough feels like before you move up to wetter, less-forgiving hydrations.
70% hydration sourdough recipe
One loaf of about 946 g of dough, with a 100% hydration starter counted in. For a different size, change the flour or starter in the solver above and the water re-solves; it can also show ounces or cups.
| Ingredient | Weight |
|---|---|
| Flour | 500 g |
| Water | 335 g |
| Ripe starter (100%) | 100 g |
| Salt | 11 g |
| Total dough | 946 g |
Why only 335 g of water? The starter brings 50 g of flour and 50 g of water with it, so the dough holds 385 g of water to 550 g of flour, which is 70% hydration.
Method
- Mix. Combine the flour and water, then add the ripe starter and salt. Aim for a dough at 24–26 °C; the dough temperature calculator gives you the water temperature.
- Build strength. Three sets of stretch-and-folds in the first 90 minutes build plenty of strength.
- Bulk ferment. About 5 hours for a 24 °C dough, until it has risen 30–50% and looks domed and bubbly. Timing is forgiving at 70%, so use this bake to learn what a properly fermented dough looks and feels like.
- Shape. Shape on a lightly floured bench. The dough is tacky but releases cleanly and holds tension well.
- Proof. Proof at room temperature until a poke springs back slowly, or retard overnight in the fridge if that suits your day.
- Bake. In a preheated Dutch oven, usually at 230–250 °C, covered and then uncovered to colour.
Want clock times for each step? The bake-day timeline works backwards from when you want to bake.
70% hydration sourdough FAQ
Is 70% hydration high for sourdough?
No — 70% is a comfortable middle. It is wet enough for an open-ish crumb but dry enough to shape without a fight, which is why so many bakers treat it as their default.
Should I move from 65% to 70%?
It is the natural next step. Once you can shape a 65% dough confidently, 70% gives you a more open crumb for very little extra difficulty. Change one thing at a time and watch how the dough feels.
What flour is best at 70% hydration?
Bread flour (around 12% protein) is ideal. Strong all-purpose works too, especially if you add a set of folds to build extra strength.
70% vs 75% hydration sourdough: what changes?
At 70% the dough is tacky but easy to handle and gives a balanced, moderately open crumb. At 75% it is noticeably slack, wants a strong bread flour and coil folds, and rewards you with a more open, glossy crumb. In grams, for a loaf with 500 g flour and 100 g starter, 75% takes 28 g more water.