Hydration × flour
85% Hydration Medium Rye Flour
Extremely open, irregular, moist crumb. Large glossy holes dominate. Very thin, crackling crust.
✓ Within Medium Rye Flour's workable range (80–95%)
Is 85% hydration right for Medium Rye Flour?
Medium Rye Flour's workable hydration range is 80–95%. Its absorption multiplier is 1.08× bread flour. At 85%, you are in the sweet spot — the dough will handle predictably and produce the crumb described above.
Absorption math for Medium Rye Flour at 85%
A recipe written for bread flour at 85% hydration, when substituted with 100% Medium Rye Flour, becomes 92% effective hydration (because Medium Rye Flour absorbs 8% more water). Do NOT knead rye dough (tears pentosan structure). Mix to incorporate, then rest. Very short bulk ferment (2-3 hours at 76°F) — rye ferments fast. Wet hands for shaping. Use a pan or tight banneton. Bake at higher initial temp (500°F) for 15 minutes, then reduce. Internal temp 205-210°F for doneness.
Technique at 85% hydration
Pan-baked or stretched on floured surface — not bannetoned or shaped. Requires high-protein bread flour (or rye's pentosan structure). Advanced technique territory.
Worked water math for a 500 g batch
| Medium Rye Flour | 500 g (100%) |
| Water | 425 g (85%) |
| Salt | 10 g (2%) |
Add your levain on top of these weights; the calculator below subtracts the flour and water it already contributes so the bench numbers land at 85% exactly.
What Medium Rye Flour gives you at 85%
At 85% hydration you can expect a very open, glossy, holey crumb — the signature of a high-hydration hearth loaf. A very wet dough: minimal handling wins. Use wet hands and a bench scraper, coil or stitch folds only, a strong pre-shape, and a well-floured couche or banneton — this hydration rewards a light, confident touch and punishes over-working.
Medium Rye Flour at 85% — FAQ
How much water do I use for Medium Rye Flour at 85% hydration?
Multiply the flour weight by 0.85. For a 500 g batch of Medium Rye Flour that's 425 g water, plus about 10 g salt (2%). Medium Rye Flour absorbs 1.08× as much water as white bread flour, so it will feel a touch stiffer than the 85% number suggests.
Is 85% hydration right for Medium Rye Flour?
Yes — Medium Rye Flour's workable range is 80–95%, and 85% sits inside it, so the dough handles predictably and gives a very open, glossy, holey crumb — the signature of a high-hydration hearth loaf.
What crumb will Medium Rye Flour at 85% give me?
Expect a very open, glossy, holey crumb — the signature of a high-hydration hearth loaf. Extremely open, irregular, moist crumb. Large glossy holes dominate. Very thin, crackling crust.
Is Medium Rye Flour at 85% beginner-friendly?
This hydration is rated advanced. A very wet dough: minimal handling wins. Use wet hands and a bench scraper, coil or stitch folds only, a strong pre-shape, and a well-floured couche or banneton — this hydration rewards a light, confident touch and punishes over-working.
Calculator pre-set to 85%
Weights below assume 100% Medium Rye Flour. For blends, use the main calculator on a recipe page.
- Flour to add
- 450 g
- Water to add
- 375 g
- Salt
- 10 g
- Levain @ 100%
- 100 g
- Total dough
- 935 g
- Effective hydration
- 85%
How the math works
Total water = flour × hydration %. Your levain contributes 50 g flour + 50 g water — both count toward the totals. You add only the remainder as fresh flour and water.
Salt % is computed on total flour weight, not final-dough flour.
The gear that makes the math work
A short, honest baking kit. The scale matters most — every weight on this page is in grams. The Dutch oven is what turns a good crumb into a great crust.
- Digital kitchen scale (0.1 g)View on Amazon →
- Dutch oven / combo cookerView on Amazon →
- Banneton proofing basketView on Amazon →
- Bread lameView on Amazon →
- Bench scraperView on Amazon →
- High-protein bread flourView on Amazon →
- Danish dough whiskView on Amazon →
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