500g Sourdough at 80% Hydration
Exact ingredient weights for your sourdough recipe
High hydration for experienced bakers
80% hydration pushes into advanced territory where the dough becomes a living, breathing organism that requires confidence and experience. This 500g recipe rewards skilled handling with a dramatically open crumb, thin crispy crust, and complex flavor. It's not for beginners, but mastering it is deeply satisfying.
Scale Your Batch
Choose how many loaves you want to bake:
Recipe Ingredients
Flour
450g
Water
350g
Starter
100g
Salt
10g
Note: This recipe uses 20% starter (at 100% hydration) and 2% salt based on total flour weight. Adjust these ratios based on your preference.
Hydration Guide
Target Hydration
80%
Dough Texture
Soft and tacky dough with potential for open crumb. Requires careful handling.
Handling Difficulty
Requires experienced handling techniques.
Baking Tips
Lamination Builds Strength
After an hour of bulk fermentation, try lamination: stretch the dough out on a wet counter into a thin sheet, then fold it back up. This builds tremendous strength without adding flour.
Use a Longer Autolyse
A 2-4 hour autolyse (flour and water only, no starter) allows the flour to fully hydrate and begins gluten development before you even add the starter. This makes handling much easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 80% hydration really that much harder than 75%?
Yes, the jump from 75% to 80% is significant. The extra 5% water makes the dough much more extensible and harder to shape. If you're comfortable at 75%, try increasing by 2% at a time rather than jumping straight to 80%.
What flour should I use for 80% hydration?
Use bread flour with at least 12% protein content. Strong Canadian or high-extraction European flours work well. All-purpose flour doesn't have enough gluten strength to handle this much water.
How do I shape such a wet dough?
Keep everything well-floured, work quickly, and use a bench scraper extensively. Pre-shape gently and give plenty of bench rest. Many bakers find that batard shapes work better than boules at very high hydration.
Try Other Recipes
Explore more sourdough calculations: