Country 75% Sourdough Formula for 450g Flour: 326g Water & 90g Levain (1 Standard Loaf)
True 74.95% vs 77.4% apparent breakdown for 450g flour (876g 1 standard loaf, -12g water cut).
Mixing 450g unbleached flour, 338g water, and 90g liquid starter pushes real hydration to 77.4% (+2.4% overshoot) across 495g total grain. Measuring 326g corrected water (293g autolyse + 33g bassinage), 90g levain, and 9.9g salt removes 12g excess water and locks True Total Hydration at 74.95% (target 75%).
- Strict True Hydration Water
- 326gLocks True Total Hydration at 74.95% (target 75%, -12g)
- Unadjusted Apparent Water
- 338gPushes True Hydration to 77.4% (+2.4% surge)
- 20% Active Starter & Salt
- 90g / 9.9g45g hidden flour + 45g hidden water
- Stickiness & Rheology
- 3 / 5 StarsModerate (High extensibility)
Starter Inoculation & Water Deduction Table Around 450g Flour @ 75%
Pre-computed gram weights around 450g main flour where 326g water locks True Total Hydration at 74.95% (target 75%).
| Batch & Seed Spec | Flour Breakdown | Levain Split | Corrected Water (75% Ref) | Salt & Dough Mass | Apparent vs Locked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400g @ 73% (15% Seed) Lean Seed (-50g) | 400g + 30g = 430g (75%/450g ref) | 60g (30gF/30gW @ 100%) | 284g W (vs 292g app @ R1) | 8.6g salt (744g dough) | 74.9% drift → 73.02% (73% goal) |
| 450g @ 73% (18% Seed) Low Inoc (-2% Hyd) | 450g + 45g = 495g (75%/450g ref) | 81g (45gF/36gW @ 80%) | 325g W (vs 329g app @ R2) | 9.9g salt (856g dough) | 73.7% drift → 72.93% (73% goal) |
| 450g @ 75% (20% Seed) [Target Baseline] | 450g + 45g = 495g (75%/450g ref) | 90g (45gF/45gW @ 100%) | 326g W (vs 338g app @ R3) | 9.9g salt (866g dough) | 77.4% drift → 74.95% (75% goal) |
| 450g @ 77% (22% Seed) High Inoc (+2% Hyd) | 450g + 50g = 500g (75%/450g ref) | 99g (50gF/49gW @ 100%) | 336g W (vs 347g app @ R4) | 10.0g salt (885g dough) | 79.2% drift → 77.0% (77% goal) |
| 500g @ 77% (25% Seed) Scaled Batch (+50g) | 500g + 56g = 556g (75%/450g ref) | 125g (56gF/69gW @ 125%) | 359g W (vs 385g app @ R5) | 11.1g salt (984g dough) | 81.7% drift → 76.98% (77% goal) |
Dynamic Stoichiometric Workbench (326g)
Test custom loaf weights or alternative fermentation schedules directly against the 338g benchmark above.
Open Crumb & Gluten Physics at 75% Hydration (450g Flour + 326g Water)
In a 876g loaf built from 450g flour, 90g starter alters the solvent-to-solids ratio by injecting 45g water alongside 45g flour. Replacing the naive 338g water weight (77.4% true moisture) with 326g (-12g cut) and 9.9g salt locks True Total Hydration at 74.95% (target 75%).
Ionic shielding from 9.9g sodium chloride tightens gliadin-glutenin fibrils across 495g flour (450g base + 45g levain) at 75% hydration. Withholding 33g of your 326g water until after a 45-minute 293g autolyse gives the 876g mass supple tenacity.
4-Stage Autolyse, Bassinage & Coil-Fold Workflow for 450g Flour at 75%
- Pre-Ferment & 293g Autolyse (450g Flour): Verify 90g levain is domed, then soak 450g flour in 293g water for 40–50 min.
- Rubaud Emulsification (326g Total Main Water): Rubaud-mix 90g starter (45gF/45gW), 9.9g salt, and 33g reserved water into the 876g mass (75%).
- Alveolar Structuring (74.95% True Moisture): Execute 4 coil folds spaced 30 min apart to manage high stretch on 495g flour.
- Retardation & Scoring (1 Standard Loaf / 876g): Preshape, tension-stitch into a rice-floured liner, chill 12–16 hrs at 38°F, and bake at 450°F.
Key Baker's Math Questions (Strict True Hydration Water: 326g)
Is 75% hydration too wet for 450g of bread flour?
At 75% (326g water + 90g starter on 450g flour), use 12.7%+ bread flour and stage 33g bassinage water after a 293g autolyse to handle 3/5 stickiness.
How does 293g autolyse water improve a 450g loaf at 75%?
Soaking 450g flour in 293g water for 45 minutes before adding 90g acidic starter, 9.9g salt, and 33g water (326g total) builds supple elasticity across the 876g dough.
How much starter and salt go into 450g flour at 75% hydration?
At 20% inoculation and 2% total-flour salt, combine 450g flour with 90g active starter (45gF + 45gW), 326g water, and 9.9g salt (2% of 495g total flour) for a 876g batch.