Flour Guide for Sourdough

Compare protein, hydration, gluten strength, and fermentation speed across 12 flour types. All nutrition data from USDA FoodData Central.

			Hydration		Speed	Use
Dark Rye Flour 14–16%	15.9g	weak	70–90%	23.8g	Faster	Blend
Whole Wheat Flour 13–15%	15.1g	medium	68–85%	10.6g	Faster	Primary
Spelt Flour 12–15%	14.5g	weak	60–72%	9.3g	Faster	Primary
Semolina Flour 12–14%	13.3g	strong	60–70%	3.7g	Normal	Blend
Oat Flour 12–14%	13.2g	none	70–80%	10.5g	Normal	Blend
Bread Flour 11.5–13.5%	12.0g	strong	65–80%	2.4g	Normal	Primary
All-Purpose Flour 10–12%	12.0g	medium	60–72%	3.0g	Normal	Primary
00 (Tipo 00) Flour 11–12.5%	11.5g	medium	60–72%	2.5g	Normal	Primary
Light Rye Flour 8–10%	9.8g	weak	65–80%	8.0g	Faster	Blend
Buckwheat Flour 8–10%	8.9g	none	70–85%	10.4g	Faster	Blend
Barley Flour 8–10%	8.7g	weak	68–80%	12.8g	Faster	Blend
Cake Flour 7–9%	8.2g	weak	55–65%	1.7g	Normal	Specialty
White Rice Flour 6–7%	6.9g	none	70–80%	0.5g	Slower	Specialty
Corn Flour 6–8%	6.9g	none	68–78%	7.3g	Normal	Blend

Nutrition values per 100g. Hydration ranges are guidelines for sourdough — actual absorption varies by brand. Source: USDA FoodData Central

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