Hydration

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Hydration

Postby ped » Sun Nov 14, 2010 1:37 pm

Just reading through a few of the bread threads reference is made to 'Hydration' at various percentages, could someone tell me what this means?

Many thanks
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Postby wheels » Sun Nov 14, 2010 3:41 pm

It's the relationship between the flour and water. e.g. 1000gm flour, 600gm water = 60% hydration.

It's expressed in 'baker's percentages', in which the other ingredients are expressed as a percentage of the flour, not as a percentage of the total amount of ingredients.

HTH

Phil
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Postby ped » Mon Nov 15, 2010 7:01 am

Many thanks Phil
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Postby Snags » Mon Nov 15, 2010 12:11 pm

Is it only based on weight not volume?

I use 3 cups flour to 1 cup water generally
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Postby NCPaul » Mon Nov 15, 2010 12:21 pm

Bakers always work with weights and percentages because flour can have a lot of different volumes depending on how it was milled, the amount of moisture it has absorbed from the air, etc. Weight 3 cups of flour, you're probably about 60 % hydration.
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