Sourdough Hydration for Beginners: Start with 75% (and Why)

6 min read - Published August 2026

By SourdoughCalc Team

If you have just started baking sourdough, the single most important number to learn is hydration. Get it right and your bread has an open, chewy crumb with a crackling crust. Get it wrong and you end up with a dense brick or a sticky mess that sticks to everything. This guide explains why 75% is the safest starting point and what to change once you are comfortable.

What is Hydration, in One Sentence?

Hydration is the ratio of water to flour in your dough, written as a percentage. If you have 500g of flour and 375g of water, your hydration is 75%. That single number controls the final texture of your bread more than any other variable.

Why 75% is the Best Starting Point

Three reasons:

1. It shapes reliably. 75% dough is firm enough to hold its shape during proofing without spreading on the counter. Beginners almost never lose a loaf to over-spreading at this hydration.
2. It develops flavor well. 75% is the lower end of the artisan range, so your bulk fermentation is long enough (4 to 6 hours at 24°C) to develop the classic sourdough tang without going vinegary.
3. It is forgiving. Slight over-proofing or under-proofing is much more forgiving at 75% than at 80%+. Your first 10 loaves will be more consistent at 75% than at any other hydration.

A Real 75% Recipe (500g flour)

Open our hydration calculator to scale this to any flour weight, or use the defaults below for a small test batch:

• Flour: 500 g
• Water: 375 g (75% of flour weight)
• Starter (20%): 100 g
• Salt (2%): 10 g

Total dough weight: 985 g - enough for one large loaf or two small ones.

The Three Beginner Rules

Once you have made 5 to 10 loaves at 75% and feel comfortable, you can experiment. Keep these three rules in mind:

1. Lower hydration (60 to 70%): Easier to shape, denser crumb. Use for bagels, pretzels, and baguettes. Read our baguette guide for the 65% recipe.
2. Standard hydration (70 to 78%): The everyday sweet spot. 75% is the most-published sourdough hydration for a reason: it works.
3. Higher hydration (80%+): Open, holey crumb. Looks impressive on Instagram but is much harder to handle. Wait until you have made at least 20 successful loaves before trying this. See the 65% vs 75% vs 85% comparison.

What Can Go Wrong at 75%

Even at the safest hydration, three things can still go wrong on a beginner's first loaf:

• Sticky dough that spreads: Almost always means under-proofed bulk. Let the dough bulk-ferment longer (look for 50% volume increase, domed top, and bubbles along the sides).
• Dense, gummy crumb: Almost always means under-proofed final proof. The poke test should leave an indent that slowly springs back. If it springs back fast, proof longer.
• Very sour taste: Bulk or final proof was too long or too warm. Try cooler temperatures (22 to 24°C) and shorter times.

When to Move Beyond 75%

Move to 78% or 80% when you can reliably:

• Shape a tight boule without it spreading on the counter
• Time your bulk fermentation consistently within 30 minutes
• Read the poke test accurately (not guessing)

Most home bakers spend 3 to 6 months at 75% before moving higher. There is no rush. The best sourdough is the one you make consistently well, not the most photogenic one.

Try the Calculator

Use the free hydration calculator to dial in your exact recipe. It works in grams, ounces, or cups and includes baker's percentages for salt and starter.