80% hydration sourdough
At 80% hydration the dough is wet and sticky and needs strong flour and wet hands, but it bakes to a wildly open, custardy crumb — high-hydration territory.
Pre-set to 80% — change the flour or starter and the water re-solves. Unlock hydration to explore other targets.
Show the math
- Locked at 80% 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 80% hydration sourdough like?
How an 80% dough handles
At 80% the dough is genuinely wet and sticky, and it will spread across the bench the moment you stop supporting it. Dry hands are your enemy here — everything is done with wet hands and a bench scraper. Handled gently and quickly the dough is alive and billowy; handled roughly it degasses and slackens. Speed and a light touch win.
Flour and crumb
This is where flour quality decides the outcome. You need a high-protein bread flour, or to add a little vital wheat gluten; ordinary flour collapses under this much water. Done right, the crumb is spectacular — very open, glossy and custardy, wrapped in a thin, shatteringly crisp crust. It is close cousin to ciabatta and focaccia dough.
Technique notes
Forget kneading entirely: coil folds in the bowl are the only sensible way to build strength. Keep the bulk ferment on the earlier, cooler side so the dough does not over-slacken, shape with minimal handling, and treat a cold overnight retard as essential — a fridge-firm dough is far easier to score and load. Bake hot with plenty of steam.
80% hydration sourdough recipe
One loaf of about 1001 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 | 390 g |
| Ripe starter (100%) | 100 g |
| Salt | 11 g |
| Total dough | 1001 g |
Why only 390 g of water? The starter brings 50 g of flour and 50 g of water with it, so the dough holds 440 g of water to 550 g of flour, which is 80% 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. Skip kneading entirely. Coil folds in the bowl, with wet hands, build the strength.
- Bulk ferment. About 5 hours for a 24 °C dough, until it has risen 30–50% and looks domed and bubbly. Keep bulk on the earlier, cooler side so the dough does not over-slacken.
- Shape. Shape quickly with wet hands, a bench scraper and as little handling as possible.
- Proof. Treat an overnight cold retard as essential. A fridge-firm dough is far easier to score and load.
- Bake. In a preheated Dutch oven, usually at 230–250 °C, covered and then uncovered to colour. Bake hot with plenty of steam.
Want clock times for each step? The bake-day timeline works backwards from when you want to bake.
80% hydration sourdough FAQ
Is 80% hydration hard to work with?
It is demanding rather than hard. The dough is wet and sticky and wants to spread, so you work with wet hands, a bench scraper and a light touch. Strong flour and a cold retard make it much more manageable.
What flour do I need for 80% hydration sourdough?
A high-protein bread flour, ideally 13%+ protein, or a standard bread flour with a little vital wheat gluten added. Weaker flours cannot hold this much water in an open structure and will bake dense.
Should I cold-retard an 80% dough?
Yes — an overnight cold retard firms the dough so you can actually shape and score it, and it deepens flavour. At this hydration it is close to essential rather than optional.
80% vs 85% hydration sourdough: what changes?
80% is wet and demanding but manageable with strong flour, coil folds and a cold retard. 85% is almost pourable and expert-only, with most of its structure coming from folding and cold. If 80% does not feel comfortable yet, stay there. In grams, for a loaf with 500 g flour and 100 g starter, 85% takes 28 g more water.