Recipe hydration
Hokkaido Milk Bread (Sourdough) — Hydration Guide
Target 72%. Workable range 68–78%.
Why this hydration for Hokkaido Milk Bread (Sourdough)?
Hokkaido milk bread uses the tangzhong technique — a pre-cooked flour/water paste (1:5 ratio, heated to 65°C) mixed into the main dough. This gelatinizes some starches, enabling extra moisture retention and an incredibly soft, pillowy crumb that stays fresh for days. Add milk (15% flour weight), butter (10%), and mild sugar (8%) for the signature Asian-bakery character.
Flour mix: 100% bread flour.
What 72% hydration does for Hokkaido Milk Bread (Sourdough)
At its 72% target, Hokkaido Milk Bread (Sourdough) 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 enriched structure can hold.
Worked water math for a 500 g batch
| Flour | 500 g (100%) |
| Water | 360 g (72%) |
| Salt | 7.5 g (1.5%) |
| 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
Hokkaido Milk Bread (Sourdough) 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%
Make tangzhong: 25g bread flour + 125g water, heat in pan stirring to 65°C until thick paste. Cool. Combine tangzhong with other dough ingredients + levain. Knead 10 min. 2.5h bulk. Divide into 3 pieces, roll each into rectangle, fold thirds, roll into coil. Place coils side-by-side in oiled loaf pan. Proof 3h until risen 1 inch above pan. Bake 350°F for 30-35 min until golden and internal 190°F.
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.
Hokkaido Milk Bread (Sourdough) hydration — FAQ
What hydration is Hokkaido Milk Bread (Sourdough) 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 Hokkaido Milk Bread (Sourdough)?
Multiply your flour weight by 0.72. For a 500 g flour batch that's 360 g water, plus about 8 g salt (1.5%). The calculator on this page also subtracts the water your levain already contributes.
Can I make Hokkaido Milk Bread (Sourdough) 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 Hokkaido Milk Bread (Sourdough) texture is largely lost.
Can I make Hokkaido Milk Bread (Sourdough) 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.