Recipe hydration
Sourdough Pretzel — Hydration Guide
Target 58%. Workable range 55–62%.
Why this hydration for Sourdough Pretzel?
Sourdough pretzel with characteristic mahogany crust from food-grade lye bath (4% NaOH solution). Alternative: baking-soda bath (simmered 10% solution) for lower-risk home use, though finish is less dramatic. Topped with coarse pretzel salt. Dense chewy interior. Cold retard critical for clean surface — wet dough doesn't bath cleanly.
Flour mix: 100% bread flour.
What 58% hydration does for Sourdough Pretzel
At its 58% target, Sourdough Pretzel 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 lean structure can hold.
Worked water math for a 500 g batch
| Flour | 500 g (100%) |
| Water | 290 g (58%) |
| 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 58% exactly.
How this flour mix drinks
Sourdough Pretzel uses 100% bread flour. That's straight white bread flour, which handles predictably at 58% — add all the water up front and adjust only if a new bag of flour behaves differently.
Technique at 58%
Mix stiff dough. 2h bulk at 76°F. Divide into 100g pieces. Roll into 18-inch ropes. Shape into pretzel twist. Cold retard uncovered 8-12h (dries surface). Dip in lye solution (or simmered baking soda solution) 20 sec. Place on baking sheet, sprinkle pretzel salt, slash with razor across belly. Bake 450°F for 12-15 min until deep mahogany.
Calculator pre-set to 58%
- Flour to add
- 450 g
- Water to add
- 240 g
- Salt
- 10 g
- Levain @ 100%
- 100 g
- Total dough
- 800 g
- Effective hydration
- 58%
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 Pretzel hydration — FAQ
What hydration is Sourdough Pretzel meant to be?
Target 58% — that's 58 g of water per 100 g of flour by weight. The workable range is 55–62% depending on your flour and handling skill.
How much water do I need for Sourdough Pretzel?
Multiply your flour weight by 0.58. For a 500 g flour batch that's 290 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 Pretzel at a lower hydration?
Down to about 55% gives a tighter crumb and much easier, less sticky handling — a good starting point if you're new to this style. Below 55% the open, characteristic Sourdough Pretzel texture is largely lost.
Can I make Sourdough Pretzel at a higher hydration?
Up to about 62% opens the crumb further but demands confident wet-dough handling (more folds, a well-floured bench, decisive shaping). Above 62% the structure usually slackens and the loaf spreads instead of rising.