Recipe hydration
Ciabatta Integrale — Hydration Guide
Target 85%. Workable range 80–90%.
Why this hydration for Ciabatta Integrale?
Whole-grain version of ciabatta — 30% whole wheat + 5% rye for rustic flavor. Hydration pushed to 85% to compensate for the whole-grain bran absorbing more water. Crumb is still open but slightly less dramatic than white ciabatta. Excellent for sandwich bread with hearty character.
Flour mix: 5% rye medium · 65% bread flour · 30% whole wheat.
What 85% hydration does for Ciabatta Integrale
At its 85% target, Ciabatta Integrale bakes up with a very open, holey, translucent crumb — the hallmark of a high-hydration hearth loaf, at the cost of slack, sticky dough that needs confident 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 hearth structure can hold.
Worked water math for a 500 g batch
| Flour | 500 g (100%) |
| Water | 425 g (85%) |
| Salt | 10 g (2%) |
| Levain | 100 g (~20%) |
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 85% exactly.
How this flour mix drinks
Ciabatta Integrale uses 5% rye medium · 65% bread flour · 30% whole wheat. The 35% whole-grain portion (rye medium, whole wheat) absorbs more water than white bread flour, so the dough feels a touch stiffer than its 85% number suggests — give it a longer autolyse and hold back a little water to add later if needed.
Technique at 85%
Autolyse whole flours 45 min, then mix with levain, salt. 3-4 coil folds. 3h bulk. Dump, stretch, cut into rectangles. Short 90 min proof. Bake on stone with steam.
Calculator pre-set to 85%
- 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.
Ciabatta Integrale hydration — FAQ
What hydration is Ciabatta Integrale meant to be?
Target 85% — that's 85 g of water per 100 g of flour by weight. The workable range is 80–90% depending on your flour and handling skill.
How much water do I need for Ciabatta Integrale?
Multiply your flour weight by 0.85. For a 500 g flour batch that's 425 g water, plus about 10 g salt (2%). The calculator on this page also subtracts the water your levain already contributes.
Can I make Ciabatta Integrale at a lower hydration?
Down to about 80% gives a tighter crumb and much easier, less sticky handling — a good starting point if you're new to this style. Below 80% the open, characteristic Ciabatta Integrale texture is largely lost.
Can I make Ciabatta Integrale at a higher hydration?
Up to about 90% opens the crumb further but demands confident wet-dough handling (more folds, a well-floured bench, decisive shaping). Above 90% the structure usually slackens and the loaf spreads instead of rising.