Understanding Hydration: How Water Ratio Changes Your Crumb

Hydration is the ratio of water to flour in a dough, expressed as a percentage of the flour weight. A 75% hydration dough contains 75 grams of water for every 100 grams of flour. Lower hydration doughs (60-65%) are stiffer and easier to shape, while higher hydration doughs (75-85%) produce a more open, irregular crumb with larger holes.

Raising hydration isn’t just about wetter dough – it changes how gluten develops, how the dough ferments, and how much oven spring you get. Wetter doughs ferment faster because water helps distribute yeast activity and enzyme action more evenly through the mass, but they are also harder to handle for new bakers.

This article is a placeholder outline. The final version will include a hydration chart, troubleshooting tips for slack dough, and guidance on adjusting hydration for different flour types.