25 canonical bread styles · formulas cited

Sourdough recipes

Every canonical sourdough bread style with hydration target, flour mix, bulk and proof times, bake temp, and source citations from Hamelman, Robertson, AVPN, AICIG, and King Arthur.

Enriched doughs

Hearth loaves

Lean doughs

Pan breads

Looking for pizza dough formulas?

The same baker's percentage math applies to pizza. See the pizza dough index for 7 canonical styles (Neapolitan AVPN, NY, Detroit, Roman al taglio, Sicilian, Chicago deep dish, focaccia Romana) with hydration, yeast %, oil %, and bake-temp ranges.

All 12 hydration levels — find recipes by hydration target
All 15 flour types — spec and absorption multiplier per flour
All 8 temperature ranges — every recipe has a per-temperature timing page
All 7 pizza dough styles — AVPN Neapolitan, NY, Detroit, Roman, Sicilian, Chicago, focaccia
All 5 starter types — match starter character to recipe flavor profile
Guide: baker's percentage explained — the math underlying every formula
Guide: troubleshooting sticky dough — when your hydration is too high for the 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)
Baker's percentage is by weight, not volume — a 0.1 g scale is what makes the math on this page accurate.
View on Amazon →
Dutch oven / combo cooker
Traps steam for the first bake phase — the single biggest factor in oven spring and a blistered, glossy crust.
View on Amazon →
Banneton proofing basket
Wicks moisture and holds shape during the final proof, so high-hydration dough doesn't spread flat.
View on Amazon →
Bread lame + bench scraper
A sharp lame scores clean ears; a steel bench scraper handles wet, sticky dough without tearing the gluten.
View on Amazon →
High-protein bread flour
The math assumes ~12–14% protein. Real bread flour absorbs the hydration you calculate — all-purpose won't.
View on Amazon →
Danish dough whisk
Mixes shaggy, high-hydration dough in seconds without the gluey mess of a spoon or your hands.
View on Amazon →

🎧 Or learn the craft by ear

The numbers here are the what; a good baking book is the why. An Audible trial gets you any title free — Michael Pollan’s Cooked(the “Air” chapter is the best story ever told about why bread rises) is a perfect first listen.

Start a free Audible trial →

As an Amazon Associate, SourdoughHydration earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. More on how this is funded.

Gear guides — what actually matters