Recipe hydration
Sourdough Bagel — Hydration Guide
Target 55%. Workable range 50–60%.
Why this hydration for Sourdough Bagel?
Sourdough bagels have the traditional dense, chewy, shiny crust from boiling before baking. Very low hydration (55%) produces the characteristic tight crumb. 12+ hour cold retard essential for flavor. Boil in malt-syrup water 30-60 sec per side before baking for the classic bagel crust. NY-style uses ~15% sugar in the dough; Montreal-style uses honey in the boil.
Flour mix: 100% bread flour.
What 55% hydration does for Sourdough Bagel
At its 55% target, Sourdough Bagel bakes up with a tight, tender, even crumb that slices cleanly — the low water keeps the dough firm and structured rather than open. That's why the style sits where it does on the scale — push it much drier and it tightens toward a sandwich loaf; push it much wetter and it slackens past what the hearth structure can hold.
Worked water math for a 500 g batch
| Flour | 500 g (100%) |
| Water | 275 g (55%) |
| Salt | 10 g (2%) |
| Levain | 90 g (~18%) |
The levain already carries some of that flour and water. The calculator below subtracts its contribution so the numbers you actually weigh at the bench hit 55% exactly.
How this flour mix drinks
Sourdough Bagel uses 100% bread flour. That's straight white bread flour, which handles predictably at 55% — add all the water up front and adjust only if a new bag of flour behaves differently.
Technique at 55%
Mix dough (stand mixer recommended due to stiffness). Short 1h bulk. Divide into 100g pieces, shape into rings. Place on parchment, cold retard 12-24h. Bring 4L water + 2 tbsp malt syrup + 1 tsp baking soda to gentle boil. Drop bagels 30 sec per side. Transfer to sesame/poppy/everything seeds if desired. Bake on preheated baking sheet at 500°F with steam for 18 min until deep golden.
Calculator pre-set to 55%
- Flour to add
- 450 g
- Water to add
- 225 g
- Salt
- 10 g
- Levain @ 100%
- 100 g
- Total dough
- 785 g
- Effective hydration
- 55%
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.
Sourdough Bagel hydration — FAQ
What hydration is Sourdough Bagel meant to be?
Target 55% — that's 55 g of water per 100 g of flour by weight. The workable range is 50–60% depending on your flour and handling skill.
How much water do I need for Sourdough Bagel?
Multiply your flour weight by 0.55. For a 500 g flour batch that's 275 g water, plus about 10 g salt (2%). The calculator on this page also subtracts the water your levain already contributes.
Can I make Sourdough Bagel at a lower hydration?
Down to about 50% gives a tighter crumb and much easier, less sticky handling — a good starting point if you're new to this style. Below 50% the open, characteristic Sourdough Bagel texture is largely lost.
Can I make Sourdough Bagel at a higher hydration?
Up to about 60% opens the crumb further but demands confident wet-dough handling (more folds, a well-floured bench, decisive shaping). Above 60% the structure usually slackens and the loaf spreads instead of rising.
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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