How to use the dough hydration calculator
Add the flour and water totals, choose one unit for both, and click Calculate. The result includes dough hydration, total dough weight, each ingredient's share of the total, the formula, and the converted gram values.
- Add all flour types and enter the total in
Flour weight. - Add all water sources and enter the total in
Water weight. - Choose the shared unit with
Weight unit. - Click
Calculateto show the result. - Use
Copy resultorDownload result (.txt)to keep the plain-text output.
Dough hydration formula and result example
Flour is the 100% reference. The calculator divides water weight by flour weight and multiplies the result by 100. It also adds the two weights for total dough weight, then calculates flour's and water's shares of that total.
Flour weight: 1000 g
Water weight: 700 g
Dough hydration: 70.00%
Total dough weight: 1700.00 gThe result table shows the entered weights, values converted to grams, the hydration calculation, and both percentage shares. Edit an input or change the unit, and the previous result disappears until you click Calculate again.
What counts in the hydration percentage
Put every flour type into Flour weight and every water source into Water weight. Milk, eggs, and other liquids are excluded unless you add their weight to the water figure yourself. The fields accept numbers only. Blank or non-numeric input fails validation, flour must be greater than zero, and water can be zero.
Weight unit applies to both fields. The calculator converts grams (g), kilograms (kg), ounces (oz), and pounds (lb) to grams for the calculation, then displays total dough weight in the selected unit. Reset restores 1000 for flour, 700 for water, and grams (g).
When to use a dough hydration calculator
Use the calculator when a recipe gives flour and water totals but leaves out the hydration percentage. Enter the two totals and compare the calculated percentage with the figure in the recipe.
For several flours or water additions, add each group before entering the totals. The output gives you a plain-text record that you can copy or download with the rest of the calculation.
For a complete ingredient formula, use the Baker's Percentage Calculator. If you are sizing pizza balls and calculating every ingredient, the Pizza Dough Calculator fits that job. For a recipe with servings, hydration, brine, coffee, and pizza calculations in one place, use the Recipe Calculator; browse Food Calculators for the other recipe and kitchen calculations.
For a complete ingredient formula, use the Baker's Percentage Calculator. To size pizza balls and calculate the ingredients, use the Pizza Dough Calculator. For servings, hydration, brine, coffee, and pizza calculations together, use the Recipe Calculator. The Food Calculators page lists the other recipe and kitchen calculations.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate dough hydration from flour and water?
Use (Water weight / Flour weight) x 100. Enter both weights in the same unit. The calculator shows the percentage and the intermediate gram values.
Is dough hydration based on flour weight?
Yes. Flour is the 100% reference for dough hydration. Total dough weight is calculated separately by adding flour and water.
Can I include milk or eggs in the hydration calculation?
The calculator uses only the numbers in Flour weight and Water weight. To count another liquid, add its weight to the water figure before calculating.
What units can I use for dough hydration?
Choose grams (g), kilograms (kg), ounces (oz), or pounds (lb). Use one Weight unit for both fields. The calculator converts the values to grams for the calculation.
Do my dough hydration inputs leave the browser?
The page-specific calculator script performs the arithmetic in the browser and makes no network request with the entered weights. It does not fetch recipe or ingredient data.