500g Sourdough at 80% Hydration
Exact ingredient weights for your sourdough recipe
A 500g mix at 80% hydration yields about 910g of finished dough, enough for one large boule or two 450g loaves. Expect a distinctly open, irregular crumb — this hydration is advanced and best suits rustic country loaves. Ratios use 20% starter and 2% salt by flour weight.
Light whole wheat for subtle nutrition
This 500g recipe blends 90% white flour with 10% whole wheat at 80% hydration. The small addition of whole wheat adds subtle nutty notes and a slightly deeper color without significantly changing handling characteristics. You'll get one loaf with gentle whole grain character. Slightly more water absorption. May need 2-3% more hydration than 100% white recipes.
How do I scale this recipe?
Multiply every ingredient by the same factor and the baker's percentages stay the same. That's why sourdough formulas scale cleanly. Pick the loaf count below and the flour, water, starter, and salt all update in lockstep.
What are the exact ingredient weights?
These four weights are what you actually measure on the scale. Flour and salt come straight from baker's percentages; water is the hydration percent of the flour; the starter contribution is already factored in, so the numbers below are what goes in the bowl.
Flour
450g
Water
350g
Starter
100g
Salt
10g
Note: This recipe uses 20% starter (at 100% hydration) and 2% salt based on total flour weight. Adjust these ratios based on your preference.
What does this hydration level give me?
Hydration sets the trade-off between handling ease and crumb openness. The breakdown below shows what to expect on the counter and in the finished loaf at this specific ratio, plus which shaping styles and flours suit it best.
Target Hydration
80%
Dough Texture
Soft and tacky dough with potential for open crumb. Requires careful handling.
Handling Difficulty
Requires experienced handling techniques.
What baking tips help at this hydration?
The tips below are the small adjustments that tend to matter most at this particular hydration: the handling cues, temperature assumptions, and shaping moves that keep the dough on track rather than generic advice.
Build Strength Gradually
At 80% hydration, plan for 4-5 sets of coil folds during the first 2-3 hours of bulk fermentation. The dough will transform from slack to pillowy as gluten develops.
Perfect Single Loaf
500g of flour is ideal for mastering technique without wasting ingredients. Use this batch size to experiment with timing, shaping, and scoring before scaling up.
What questions come up at this hydration?
Will 10% whole wheat make my dough harder to handle?
At 10% whole wheat, the handling difference is minimal. You may notice slightly more water absorption, but the dough will behave very similarly to 100% white flour.
Is 80% hydration too high for 10% whole wheat?
80% hydration with 10% whole wheat is definitely advanced territory. The whole wheat will absorb some extra water, making it slightly more manageable than 80% with pure white flour. The results can be spectacular - dramatically open crumb and thin, crispy crust.
What size loaf will this 500g recipe produce?
A 500g flour recipe typically produces one standard artisan loaf weighing about 825g after baking (accounting for water loss). This is perfect for a medium-sized boule or batard that feeds 4-6 people.
What other recipes should I try?
The recipes below shift either the flour weight or the hydration percent by one step, so you can see how the ingredient numbers and the crumb expectations change without starting over from the hub.