High-Hydration 80% Open Crumb Sourdough with 500g Flour, 351g Autolyse & 39g Bassinage (1 Standard Loaf)
Open-crumb 80% formula for 500g flour (1001g 1 standard loaf) staging 39g bassinage water and 100g levain.
To bake 500g flour at 80% without suffering a 81.8% (+1.8%) soupier dough from 400g water and 100g starter, subtract 10g water. Combining 390g main water, 50g+50g levain, and 11g salt (1001g total) locks True Total Hydration at 80.0% (target 80%).
- Strict True Hydration Water
- 390gLocks True Total Hydration at 80.0% (target 80%, -10g)
- Unadjusted Apparent Water
- 400gPushes True Hydration to 81.8% (+1.8% surge)
- 20% Active Starter & Salt
- 100g / 11g50g hidden flour + 50g hidden water
- Stickiness & Rheology
- 4 / 5 StarsArtisan Level (High extensibility)
500g Flour at 80% Hydration: 2D Scale & Starter Sensitivity Matrix
Stepwise levain inoculation (15%–25%) and hydration offsets for a 1001g (1 Standard Loaf) batch using 500g flour.
| Batch & Seed Spec | Flour Breakdown | Levain Split | Corrected Water (80% Ref) | Salt & Dough Mass | Apparent vs Locked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 450g @ 78% (15% Seed) Mini Scale (-50g) | 450g + 34g = 484g (80%/500g ref) | 68g (34gF/34gW @ 100%) | 344g W (vs 351g app @ R1) | 9.7g salt (862g dough) | 79.5% drift → 78.1% (78% goal) |
| 500g @ 78% (18% Seed) Tighter Crumb (-2%) | 500g + 50g = 550g (80%/500g ref) | 90g (50gF/40gW @ 80%) | 389g W (vs 390g app @ R2) | 11.0g salt (979g dough) | 78.2% drift → 78.0% (78% goal) |
| 500g @ 80% (20% Seed) [Exact Spec] | 500g + 50g = 550g (80%/500g ref) | 100g (50gF/50gW @ 100%) | 390g W (vs 400g app @ R3) | 11.0g salt (990g dough) | 81.8% drift → 80.0% (80% goal) |
| 500g @ 82% (22% Seed) Airier Crumb (+2%) | 500g + 55g = 555g (80%/500g ref) | 110g (55gF/55gW @ 100%) | 400g W (vs 410g app @ R4) | 11.1g salt (1010g dough) | 83.8% drift → 81.98% (82% goal) |
| 550g @ 82% (25% Seed) Boosted Scale (+50g) | 550g + 61g = 611g (80%/500g ref) | 138g (61gF/77gW @ 125%) | 424g W (vs 451g app @ R5) | 12.2g salt (1112g dough) | 86.4% drift → 82.0% (82% goal) |
On-Bench Hydration & Fermentation Adjuster
Modify base flour mass, levain inoculation, or ambient kitchen temperature below to recalculate from this 390g baseline.
Wet Viscosity Control at 80% Hydration (500g Flour / 390g Corrected Water)
Introducing 100g ripe culture into 500g flour contributes 50g degraded gluten and 50g organic-acid water, pushing an unadjusted 400g pour to 81.8% (+1.8% surge). Weighing 390g water (351g autolyse + 39g bassinage) and 11g salt across 550g flour locks True Total Hydration at 80.0% (target 80%).
Balancing high extensibility against supple elasticity in a 1001g (500g flour) batch at 80% requires strict 390g water control (-10g vs 400g), 100g peaked starter (50gF/50gW), and 11g salt staged with 39g water.
Execution Schedule: 500g Flour, 390g Water & 100g Starter (80.0%)
- Initial Water Binding (351g W on 500g F): Hydrate 500g flour using 351g water (leaving 39g for stage 2 of 390g) for 45 min.
- Levain & Salinity Lock (100g Starter + 11g Salt): Fold in 100g 100% starter and 11g salt with 39g water, avoiding 400g (81.8%) drift.
- Fold Cadence for 80% (4/5 Stickiness): Space 4 wet-hand tuck-and-folds across 2 hours to reinforce the 1001g (550g flour) network.
- Final Proof & Oven Spring (1 Standard Loaf): Cut bulk at +50% aliquot rise, cold-retard at 38°F overnight, and steam-bake in heavy cast iron at 450°F.
Common Scaling & Troubleshooting Questions (390g)
How does changing starter from 20% (100g) to 15% (75g) affect 500g flour at 80%?
Dropping starter from 100g to 75g on 500g flour reduces hidden starter water from 50g to 38g, raising required main water from 390g to 392g for 80%.
How much water do I deduct for 100g starter in a 500g / 80% recipe?
Deduct 10g of water from the 400g apparent weight (pouring 390g main water instead) to offset the +1.8% surge (81.8%) from 100g starter (50gW/50gF).
Should I use slap-and-fold or coil folds for 500g flour at 80% (390g water)?
With 390g water (351g + 39g) and 100g starter on 500g flour (1001g batch, 4/5 tack), use 4 damp-hand coil folds 30 minutes apart to align the 550g flour network.