85% hydration sourdough
At 85% hydration the dough is almost pourable and expert-only, but done right it gives a wildly open, lacy crumb — pan-de-cristal territory for confident bakers.
Pre-set to 85% — change the flour or starter and the water re-solves. Unlock hydration to explore other targets.
Show the math
- Locked at 85% 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 85% hydration sourdough like?
How an 85% dough handles
At 85% the dough barely holds a shape — it is slack, glossy and close to pourable, and it will flow rather than sit. Almost all the structure comes from careful folding and cold temperature, not from shaping. This is not a hydration to learn on; it rewards bakers who already read dough fluently and can move fast with a confident, minimal touch.
Flour and crumb
You need the strongest flour you can find — a high-protein bread flour, often blended with manitoba or reinforced with vital wheat gluten. The payoff is a crumb like nothing else: wildly open, wet and translucent, verging on pan de cristal, under a thin glassy crust. It is more of a technical showpiece than an everyday loaf.
Technique notes
Handle the dough as little as possible. Build strength with gentle coil folds right in the bowl, keep it cool throughout, and treat an overnight cold retard as mandatory — a warm 85% dough is essentially unshapeable. Bake very hot with generous steam and accept that some loaves will spread. When it works, it is unforgettable; when it does not, drop back to 80% and build up again.
85% hydration sourdough recipe
One loaf of about 1029 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 | 418 g |
| Ripe starter (100%) | 100 g |
| Salt | 11 g |
| Total dough | 1029 g |
Why only 418 g of water? The starter brings 50 g of flour and 50 g of water with it, so the dough holds 468 g of water to 550 g of flour, which is 85% 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. Gentle coil folds right in the bowl, handling the dough as little as possible.
- Bulk ferment. About 5 hours for a 24 °C dough, until it has risen 30–50% and looks domed and bubbly. Keep the dough cool throughout; a warm 85% dough is essentially unshapeable.
- Shape. Use a confident, minimal touch. Most of the structure comes from folding and cold, not from shaping.
- Proof. An overnight cold retard is mandatory at this hydration. Work with the dough while it is fridge-cold.
- Bake. In a preheated Dutch oven, usually at 230–250 °C, covered and then uncovered to colour. Bake very hot with generous steam, and accept that some loaves will spread.
Want clock times for each step? The bake-day timeline works backwards from when you want to bake.
85% hydration sourdough FAQ
Is 85% hydration too much for sourdough?
For most bakers, most of the time, yes — it is expert-only. The dough is barely shapeable and unforgiving. It is worth attempting once 75–80% feels comfortable and you can read your dough well.
What bread can you make at 85% hydration?
Very open, wet-crumb styles like pan de cristal and the airiest ciabatta. It is a showpiece hydration rather than an everyday sandwich loaf.
How do you handle 85% hydration dough?
Keep it cold, handle it as little as possible, build strength with gentle coil folds in the bowl, and always cold-retard overnight before shaping. Strong flour is non-negotiable.
How big is the jump from 80% to 85% hydration?
Bigger than the numbers suggest. An 80% dough is wet but still shapeable with wet hands and a cold retard; at 85% it is close to pourable and barely holds a shape. Get 80% working reliably first, and drop back to it if 85% keeps spreading. In grams, for a loaf with 500 g flour and 100 g starter, 80% takes 28 g less water.