High-Hydration 80% Open Crumb Sourdough with 450g Flour, 316g Autolyse & 35g Bassinage (1 Standard Loaf)
Open-crumb 80% formula for 450g flour (901g 1 standard loaf) staging 35g bassinage water and 90g levain.
Scaling a 450g sourdough build to 80% with 90g 1:1:1 levain means an unadjusted 360g water pour drifts to 81.8% (+1.8% excess) from 45g hidden liquid and 45g fermented flour. Weighing 351g main water (-9g offset) plus 9.9g sea salt locks True Total Hydration at 80.0% (target 80%) across a 901g loaf.
- Strict True Hydration Water
- 351gLocks True Total Hydration at 80.0% (target 80%, -9g)
- Unadjusted Apparent Water
- 360gPushes True Hydration to 81.8% (+1.8% surge)
- 20% Active Starter & Salt
- 90g / 9.9g45g hidden flour + 45g hidden water
- Stickiness & Rheology
- 4 / 5 StarsArtisan Level (High extensibility)
Gravimetric Scaling Table for 450g Base Flour at 80% Hydration
System flour (495g) and total water (396g) mass-balance rows around 450g flour at 80% (80.0%).
| Batch & Seed Spec | Flour Breakdown | Levain Split | Corrected Water (80% Ref) | Salt & Dough Mass | Apparent vs Locked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400g @ 78% (15% Seed) Smaller Loaf (-50g) | 400g + 30g = 430g (80%/450g ref) | 60g (30gF/30gW @ 100%) | 305g W (vs 312g app @ R1) | 8.6g salt (765g dough) | 79.5% drift → 77.91% (78% goal) |
| 450g @ 78% (18% Seed) Lower Moisture (-2%) | 450g + 45g = 495g (80%/450g ref) | 81g (45gF/36gW @ 80%) | 350g W (vs 351g app @ R2) | 9.9g salt (881g dough) | 78.2% drift → 77.98% (78% goal) |
| 450g @ 80% (20% Seed) [Calibrated Target] | 450g + 45g = 495g (80%/450g ref) | 90g (45gF/45gW @ 100%) | 351g W (vs 360g app @ R3) | 9.9g salt (891g dough) | 81.8% drift → 80.0% (80% goal) |
| 450g @ 82% (22% Seed) Higher Moisture (+2%) | 450g + 50g = 500g (80%/450g ref) | 99g (50gF/49gW @ 100%) | 361g W (vs 369g app @ R4) | 10.0g salt (910g dough) | 83.6% drift → 82.0% (82% goal) |
| 500g @ 82% (25% Seed) Larger Batch (+50g) | 500g + 56g = 556g (80%/450g ref) | 125g (56gF/69gW @ 125%) | 387g W (vs 410g app @ R5) | 11.1g salt (1012g dough) | 86.2% drift → 82.01% (82% goal) |
Dynamic Stoichiometric Workbench (351g)
Test custom loaf weights or alternative fermentation schedules directly against the 360g benchmark above.
Wet Viscosity Control at 80% Hydration (450g Flour / 351g Corrected Water)
Gravimetric auditing of 450g flour plus 90g starter shows 495g total dry base and 396g target water for 80% hydration. Because the levain already supplies 45g water, cutting 360g by 9g down to 351g (with 9.9g salt in a 901g batch) locks True Total Hydration at 80.0% (target 80%).
In this 901g (1 Standard Loaf) build at 80.0% (target 80%), free-water mobility (4/5 tack, Artisan Level) depends on staging 351g water into 316g initial soak and 35g post-levain splash alongside 90g starter and 9.9g sea salt.
4-Stage Autolyse, Bassinage & Coil-Fold Workflow for 450g Flour at 80%
- Autolyse Soak (316g W + 450g F): Hydrate 450g flour with 316g water (90% of 351g) for 45 min before adding 90g starter.
- Levain & Bassinage (90g starter + 9.9g salt + 35g W): Dimple 90g ripe levain (45gF/45gW) and 9.9g salt with 35g water to hit 80.0% (80%).
- Coil Fold Cadence (4/5 Tack, 901g Dough): Space 4 wet-hand folds 30 min apart to align the 495g flour network (high stretch).
- Bulk Cutoff & 450°F Bake (1 Standard Loaf): Ferment at 75°F to +50% aliquot rise, cold-retard 14 hrs at 38°F, and bake covered 20 min + uncovered 22 min.
Key Baker's Math Questions (Strict True Hydration Water: 351g)
What baking temperature works best for a 901g loaf (450g flour @ 80%)?
Bake your 901g (1 Standard Loaf) dough made from 450g flour, 351g water (80.0%), 90g starter, and 9.9g salt in a preheated 450°F (232°C) Dutch oven for 20 min covered + 22 min uncovered.
How much water do I need for 450g of flour at 80% hydration?
Multiplying 450g by 80% gives 360g apparent water, which drifts to 81.8% (+1.8%) with 90g starter. Weighing 351g main water (-9g cut) locks True Total Hydration at 80.0% (target 80%).
Why does unadjusted 360g water cause a +1.8% surge on 450g flour at 80%?
Because 80% is below 100% starter hydration, 90g starter (45gW / 45gF) raises 360g water to 405g over 495g flour (81.8%). Cutting 9g to 351g locks 80.0%.