THE CRAFT · Sourdough Myths Debunked, Part Two
An 80% hydration dough is not automatically more advanced, more open or better bread. Hydration is a calculation: the total weight of water divided by the total weight of flour, expressed as a percentage. It describes a formula. It does not tell you how that dough will feel in your hands.
The same hydration can produce completely different doughs
Take two flours and mix each with 750 g of water per 1,000 g of flour. Both doughs are at 75% hydration. One may hold its shape and feel elastic; the other may spread across the bench. The difference comes from the flour’s water absorption and dough-forming properties, not from the percentage on the recipe.
Flour strength and absorption are related, not identical
Flour protein quantity and quality matter for gluten development, but water absorption also depends on damaged starch, bran, fibre components such as arabinoxylans, particle size and milling conditions. A high-protein flour is not guaranteed to behave the same as another flour with the same protein percentage. Likewise, strong gluten does not automatically mean the highest possible water absorption.
Why I don’t chase hydration percentages
As a baker, I would rather make a dough that ferments predictably, holds its structure and produces the bread I intend to sell than force a fashionable number onto a flour that cannot handle it. High hydration can be useful, but it also changes handling, shaping, fermentation tolerance and the finished crumb. More water is a choice, not a trophy.
Does the season in which wheat grows change its flour?
This is where baking connects back to agriculture. Wheat develops in a changing environment, and growing conditions can influence grain composition and milling performance. Rainfall, heat, soil, wheat variety and the timing of stress all matter. But it would be too simple to say that wheat grown in a dry season always makes flour that absorbs less water, or that a wet season always makes flour that absorbs more.
My way of thinking about grain starts with its relationship to water. A seed can remain dormant until conditions support germination. When it takes up enough water at an appropriate temperature, biological processes can resume and the seed can sprout. That connection between grain, moisture and life is worth appreciating. But germination is a different process from the way milled flour absorbs water in a dough. We should not confuse a useful philosophy with a proven cause-and-effect rule.
The flour changes; your method should respond
Even when you buy the same brand, different flour lots can perform differently. Storage humidity and flour moisture also affect the effective water balance: flour already containing more moisture contributes water to the formula. This is another reason not to treat a recipe percentage as an absolute guarantee.
A practical flour comparison
- Choose three flours with different specifications, ideally including one wholegrain flour.
- Mix 100 g of each flour with 70 g water. Use the same mixing and resting time.
- Observe stickiness, extensibility, elasticity and whether the dough holds shape.
- Add water in small, measured increments to each sample until you reach a comparable workable consistency.
- Record the final hydration for each flour and repeat to see whether the result is consistent.
This is a practical bakery comparison, not a laboratory measurement of flour strength or absorption. It will still teach you far more about your ingredients than copying somebody else’s 80% hydration formula.
My advice to bakers
Start with your flour, your process and your desired bread. Then adjust the water. If you change flour, revisit hydration. If the dough behaves differently from last month, investigate the flour lot, temperature, storage and mixing before assuming your technique has failed.
Hydration is a tool for working with flour. It is not a score for judging the quality of your bread.
For more about the origins of flour and fermentation, read From Soil to Sourdough, and explore SA Bakery Supplies for practical artisan baking lessons.
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