Recipe hydration
Baguette — Hydration Guide
Target 68%. Workable range 65–72%.
Why this hydration for Baguette?
The baguette is the technical benchmark of hearth baking — thin elongated loaf with crackling crust, irregular open crumb (cells of varying size), and distinctive scoring pattern. 68% is the traditional French hydration (more conservative than a 75% country loaf because the shape requires more structure). Hamelman's baguette uses 100% bread flour, 68% hydration, 15% poolish or sourdough preferment. Advanced bakers dial hydration up to 72%. The scoring (3-5 diagonal slashes, slightly overlapping) is what creates the signature ear.
Flour mix: 100% bread flour.
What 68% hydration does for Baguette
At its 68% target, Baguette bakes up with a moderately open, structured crumb with a crisp crust — enough water for a good rise without slack, sticky handling. 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 lean structure can hold.
Worked water math for a 500 g batch
| Flour | 500 g (100%) |
| Water | 340 g (68%) |
| 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 68% exactly.
How this flour mix drinks
Baguette uses 100% bread flour. That's straight white bread flour, which handles predictably at 68% — add all the water up front and adjust only if a new bag of flour behaves differently.
Technique at 68%
Short autolyse (20 min). 3 sets of stretch-and-folds. 3h bulk, divide into 250g pieces, preshape cylinders, rest 20 min. Final shape: elongate to 18 inches with tapered ends, place in floured couche. Proof 60 min. Transfer to parchment, score 3-5 diagonal overlapping slashes with lame. Bake on preheated stone at 475°F with steam for first 10 min; 18-22 min total until deep mahogany crust.
Calculator pre-set to 68%
- Flour to add
- 450 g
- Water to add
- 290 g
- Salt
- 10 g
- Levain @ 100%
- 100 g
- Total dough
- 850 g
- Effective hydration
- 68%
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.
Baguette hydration — FAQ
What hydration is Baguette meant to be?
Target 68% — that's 68 g of water per 100 g of flour by weight. The workable range is 65–72% depending on your flour and handling skill.
How much water do I need for Baguette?
Multiply your flour weight by 0.68. For a 500 g flour batch that's 340 g water, plus about 10 g salt (2%). The calculator on this page also subtracts the water your levain already contributes.
Can I make Baguette at a lower hydration?
Down to about 65% gives a tighter crumb and much easier, less sticky handling — a good starting point if you're new to this style. Below 65% the open, characteristic Baguette texture is largely lost.
Can I make Baguette at a higher hydration?
Up to about 72% opens the crumb further but demands confident wet-dough handling (more folds, a well-floured bench, decisive shaping). Above 72% the structure usually slackens and the loaf spreads instead of rising.