Recipe hydration
Sourdough English Muffin — Hydration Guide
Target 72%. Workable range 68–78%.
Why this hydration for Sourdough English Muffin?
Sourdough English muffins are griddled (not baked in oven) — cooked on a skillet at moderate heat, flipped once. The distinctive 'nooks and crannies' come from the long overnight ferment creating large irregular gas pockets. Use 3-inch ring molds for shape, dust heavily with cornmeal or semolina.
Flour mix: 100% bread flour.
What 72% hydration does for Sourdough English Muffin
At its 72% target, Sourdough English Muffin bakes up with an open, custardy crumb with irregular holes and a glossy interior — the water gives lift and chew. 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 pan structure can hold.
Worked water math for a 500 g batch
| Flour | 500 g (100%) |
| Water | 360 g (72%) |
| Salt | 9 g (1.8%) |
| 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 72% exactly.
How this flour mix drinks
Sourdough English Muffin uses 100% bread flour. That's straight white bread flour, which handles predictably at 72% — add all the water up front and adjust only if a new bag of flour behaves differently.
Technique at 72%
Mix dough, 2h bulk. Refrigerate overnight (12-16h). Portion into 90g pieces, shape into rounds, dust with cornmeal, place in ring molds on parchment. Proof 60-90 min at room temp. Heat cast-iron skillet on medium-low (350°F), cook each muffin 7 min per side, flipping once. Split with fork (don't cut) for best texture.
Calculator pre-set to 72%
- Flour to add
- 450 g
- Water to add
- 310 g
- Salt
- 10 g
- Levain @ 100%
- 100 g
- Total dough
- 870 g
- Effective hydration
- 72%
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 English Muffin hydration — FAQ
What hydration is Sourdough English Muffin meant to be?
Target 72% — that's 72 g of water per 100 g of flour by weight. The workable range is 68–78% depending on your flour and handling skill.
How much water do I need for Sourdough English Muffin?
Multiply your flour weight by 0.72. For a 500 g flour batch that's 360 g water, plus about 9 g salt (1.8%). The calculator on this page also subtracts the water your levain already contributes.
Can I make Sourdough English Muffin at a lower hydration?
Down to about 68% gives a tighter crumb and much easier, less sticky handling — a good starting point if you're new to this style. Below 68% the open, characteristic Sourdough English Muffin texture is largely lost.
Can I make Sourdough English Muffin at a higher hydration?
Up to about 78% opens the crumb further but demands confident wet-dough handling (more folds, a well-floured bench, decisive shaping). Above 78% the structure usually slackens and the loaf spreads instead of rising.