https://sourdoughhydration.com Updates to the sourdough calculator, hydration reference, flour specs, recipe formulas, and long-form guides. Cited sources on every page. en-us Fri, 03 Jul 2026 15:35:24 GMT Sun, 17 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Next.js (sourdoughhydration.com) 1440 https://sourdoughhydration.com/glossary https://sourdoughhydration.com/glossary Plain-English definitions for baker's percentage, hydration, levain, autolyse, bulk fermentation, banneton, crumb, ear, poolish, biga, stiff starter, and 9 more sourdough terms. Each entry links to the calculator or guide that uses it. Speakable + DefinedTermSet schema for voice + AI extraction. Sun, 17 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Reference Paulo de Vries https://sourdoughhydration.com/explore https://sourdoughhydration.com/explore Curated entry tour: first-time baker · improving your craft · bake the math. Pick one of the three reading paths to navigate the calculator + 540 reference pages without getting lost. Sun, 17 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Site Paulo de Vries https://sourdoughhydration.com/guide/whole-grain-hydration-adjustments https://sourdoughhydration.com/guide/whole-grain-hydration-adjustments Not all flours drink the same amount of water. Whole wheat absorbs more than bread flour; spelt absorbs less; rye absorbs differently because its structure is non-gluten. Every flour has a specific absorption multiplier, and knowing it turns substitution from trial-and-error into arithmetic. Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:29:25 GMT Guide Paulo de Vries https://sourdoughhydration.com/guide/troubleshooting-sticky-dough https://sourdoughhydration.com/guide/troubleshooting-sticky-dough Sticky dough is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Before you reduce hydration, work through the seven most common causes below. The fix that looks obvious (more flour!) is almost always the wrong one. Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:29:25 GMT Guide Paulo de Vries https://sourdoughhydration.com/guide/temperature-and-time https://sourdoughhydration.com/guide/temperature-and-time Every sourdough recipe you read assumes a specific kitchen temperature, usually 76°F. Your kitchen is probably not 76°F. The fermentation multipliers below let you translate any recipe to your actual conditions, and the DDT calculation lets you hit a target dough temp deliberately. Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:29:25 GMT Guide Paulo de Vries https://sourdoughhydration.com/guide/how-to-choose-hydration https://sourdoughhydration.com/guide/how-to-choose-hydration Hydration is the single biggest lever on sourdough texture and difficulty. Pick the right percentage and everything downstream — handling, shaping, crumb structure — becomes easier. Pick wrong and you fight the dough. Here's how to decide. Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:29:25 GMT Guide Paulo de Vries https://sourdoughhydration.com/guide/starter-discount-math https://sourdoughhydration.com/guide/starter-discount-math Your levain is both starter and ingredient. It brings flour and water into the dough that count toward your final hydration target. Most beginners skip this math and end up with dough that's wetter than intended. The starter discount is the five-line calculation that fixes it. Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:29:24 GMT Guide Paulo de Vries https://sourdoughhydration.com/guide/baker-percentage-explained https://sourdoughhydration.com/guide/baker-percentage-explained Baker's percentage is the universal language of professional baking. Every ingredient is expressed as a percentage of total flour weight — flour is always 100%, water is usually 55-85%, salt is 1.8-2.5%, and levain is 15-25% for sourdough. This system scales recipes up or down cleanly and lets you compare different formulas at a glance. Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:29:24 GMT Guide Paulo de Vries