400g Flour at 65% Low-Hydration Sourdough: 246g Water, 80g Starter & 8.8g Salt (1 Small Boule)
Stiff 65% formula for 400g flour (735g dough, 1 small boule), deducting 14g starter water from 260g.
For 400g main flour at 65% hydration with 80g active 100% starter, pouring 260g water inflates moisture to 68.2% (+3.2% surge) via 40g starter flour and 40g starter water. Deducting 14g down to 246g main water with 8.8g salt (735g batch) locks True Total Hydration at 65.0% (target 65%) over 440g system flour.
- Strict True Hydration Water
- 246gLocks True Total Hydration at 65.0% (target 65%, -14g)
- Unadjusted Apparent Water
- 260gPushes True Hydration to 68.2% (+3.2% surge)
- 20% Active Starter & Salt
- 80g / 8.8g40g hidden flour + 40g hidden water
- Stickiness & Rheology
- 1 / 5 StarsBeginner Friendly (Low extensibility)
400g Flour at 65% Hydration: 2D Scale & Starter Sensitivity Matrix
Comparing 246g corrected water (-14g cut) against 260g apparent water (68.2% drift) on 400g flour.
| Batch & Seed Spec | Flour Breakdown | Levain Split | Corrected Water (65% Ref) | Salt & Dough Mass | Apparent vs Locked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 350g @ 63% (15% Seed) Mini Scale (-50g) | 350g + 27g = 377g (65%/400g ref) | 53g (27gF/26gW @ 100%) | 212g W (vs 221g app @ R1) | 7.5g salt (615g dough) | 65.5% drift → 63.13% (63% goal) |
| 400g @ 63% (18% Seed) Tighter Crumb (-2%) | 400g + 40g = 440g (65%/400g ref) | 72g (40gF/32gW @ 80%) | 245g W (vs 252g app @ R2) | 8.8g salt (717g dough) | 64.5% drift → 62.95% (63% goal) |
| 400g @ 65% (20% Seed) [Exact Spec] | 400g + 40g = 440g (65%/400g ref) | 80g (40gF/40gW @ 100%) | 246g W (vs 260g app @ R3) | 8.8g salt (726g dough) | 68.2% drift → 65.0% (65% goal) |
| 400g @ 67% (22% Seed) Airier Crumb (+2%) | 400g + 44g = 444g (65%/400g ref) | 88g (44gF/44gW @ 100%) | 253g W (vs 268g app @ R4) | 8.9g salt (741g dough) | 70.3% drift → 66.89% (67% goal) |
| 450g @ 67% (25% Seed) Boosted Scale (+50g) | 450g + 50g = 500g (65%/400g ref) | 113g (50gF/63gW @ 125%) | 272g W (vs 302g app @ R5) | 10.0g salt (835g dough) | 73.0% drift → 67.0% (67% goal) |
On-Bench Hydration & Fermentation Adjuster
Modify base flour mass, levain inoculation, or ambient kitchen temperature below to recalculate from this 246g baseline.
Why 65% Low-Hydration Sourdough (400g Flour / 246g Water) Holds Spring
In a 735g loaf built from 400g flour, 80g starter alters the solvent-to-solids ratio by injecting 40g water alongside 40g flour. Replacing the naive 260g water weight (68.2% true moisture) with 246g (-14g cut) and 8.8g salt locks True Total Hydration at 65.0% (target 65%).
Viscoelastic creep tests at 65% hydration (246g water + 80g starter on 400g flour) confirm high tenacity elastic recovery when 8.8g salt reinforces the 440g protein matrix and 25g bassinage water is emulsified after the 221g autolyse (735g dough).
Rheological Handling Guide (1/5 Tack) for 400g Flour at 65%
- Autolyse Soak (221g W + 400g F): Hydrate 400g flour with 221g water (90% of 246g) for 45 min before adding 80g starter.
- Levain & Bassinage (80g starter + 8.8g salt + 25g W): Dimple 80g ripe levain (40gF/40gW) and 8.8g salt with 25g water to hit 65.0% (65%).
- Coil Fold Cadence (1/5 Tack, 735g Dough): Space 4 wet-hand folds 30 min apart to align the 440g flour network (low stretch).
- Bulk Cutoff & 450°F Bake (1 Small Boule): Ferment at 75°F to +50% aliquot rise, cold-retard 14 hrs at 38°F, and bake covered 20 min + uncovered 22 min.
Common Scaling & Troubleshooting Questions (246g)
How does changing starter from 20% (80g) to 15% (60g) affect 400g flour at 65%?
Dropping starter from 80g to 60g on 400g flour reduces hidden starter water from 40g to 30g, raising required main water from 246g to 250g for 65%.
How much water should I hold back for bassinage in a 400g flour / 65% dough?
Out of 246g corrected main water for 400g flour at 65%, mix 221g (90%) during the 45-minute autolyse and trickle in 25g (10%) with 80g starter and 8.8g salt.
Why is salt 8.8g instead of 8g for 400g flour at 65%?
True 2.0% salinity counts the 40g flour inside your 80g starter (400g + 40g = 440g total flour × 2% = 8.8g salt), stabilizing the 735g loaf at 65.0% (65%).