Extreme 85% Hydration Sourdough (500g Flour): 376g Base + 42g Bassinage (1 Standard Loaf)
Ciabatta-style 85% formula on 500g flour (1029g batch) with 42g bassinage staging and -7g starter deduction.
Target 85% hydration on 500g flour requires accounting for 100g levain (50g flour / 50g water); otherwise 425g water yields 86.4% (+1.4% jump). Pouring 418g water (376g base + 42g splash) and 11g salt for a 1029g dough locks True Total Hydration at 85.09% (target 85%).
- Strict True Hydration Water
- 418gLocks True Total Hydration at 85.09% (target 85%, -7g)
- Unadjusted Apparent Water
- 425gPushes True Hydration to 86.4% (+1.4% surge)
- 20% Active Starter & Salt
- 100g / 11g50g hidden flour + 50g hidden water
- Stickiness & Rheology
- 5 / 5 StarsExtreme / Wet Handling (Extreme extensibility)
True (85.09%) vs Apparent (86.4%) Matrix for 500g Flour
Stepwise levain inoculation (15%–25%) and hydration offsets for a 1029g (1 Standard Loaf) batch using 500g flour.
| Batch & Seed Spec | Flour Breakdown | Levain Split | Corrected Water (85% Ref) | Salt & Dough Mass | Apparent vs Locked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 450g @ 83% (15% Seed) Compact Mix (-50g) | 450g + 34g = 484g (85%/500g ref) | 68g (34gF/34gW @ 100%) | 368g W (vs 374g app @ R1) | 9.7g salt (886g dough) | 84.3% drift → 83.06% (83% goal) |
| 500g @ 83% (18% Seed) Conservative Pour | 500g + 50g = 550g (85%/500g ref) | 90g (50gF/40gW @ 80%) | 417g W (vs 415g app @ R2) | 11.0g salt (1007g dough) | 82.7% drift → 83.09% (83% goal) |
| 500g @ 85% (20% Seed) [Locked Benchmark] | 500g + 50g = 550g (85%/500g ref) | 100g (50gF/50gW @ 100%) | 418g W (vs 425g app @ R3) | 11.0g salt (1018g dough) | 86.4% drift → 85.09% (85% goal) |
| 500g @ 87% (22% Seed) Open-Crumb Push | 500g + 55g = 555g (85%/500g ref) | 110g (55gF/55gW @ 100%) | 428g W (vs 435g app @ R4) | 11.1g salt (1038g dough) | 88.3% drift → 87.03% (87% goal) |
| 550g @ 87% (25% Seed) Expanded Loaf (+50g) | 550g + 61g = 611g (85%/500g ref) | 138g (61gF/77gW @ 125%) | 455g W (vs 479g app @ R5) | 12.2g salt (1143g dough) | 91.0% drift → 87.07% (87% goal) |
Custom Batch Recalculation Engine
Fine-tune starter hydration between 50% stiff and 125% liquid while keeping your hydration × flour weight formula ratios locked.
Bassinage Mechanics for 500g Flour at 85% Hydration (418g Water)
Hydrating 500g flour with 425g water plus 100g starter forces 550g total flour to absorb 475g water (86.4%). Staging 376g autolyse water and 42g bassinage water (418g total, -7g deduction) with 11g salt in your 1029g dough locks True Total Hydration at 85.09% (target 85%).
When 500g flour is mixed to 85% (85.09%) using 418g water, 100g levain, and 11g salt (1029g total), reserving 42g water from the 376g autolyse keeps dough stickiness at 5/5 instead of drifting to 86.4%.
Rheological Handling Guide (5/5 Tack) for 500g Flour at 85%
- Initial Water Binding (376g W on 500g F): Hydrate 500g flour using 376g water (leaving 42g for stage 2 of 418g) for 45 min.
- Levain & Salinity Lock (100g Starter + 11g Salt): Fold in 100g 100% starter and 11g salt with 42g water, avoiding 425g (86.4%) drift.
- Fold Cadence for 85% (5/5 Stickiness): Space 4 wet-hand tuck-and-folds across 2 hours to reinforce the 1029g (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.
Technical Q&A: Extreme 85% Hydration Sourdough (500g Flour): 37
Why does unadjusted 425g water cause a +1.4% surge on 500g flour at 85%?
Because 85% is below 100% starter hydration, 100g starter (50gW / 50gF) raises 425g water to 475g over 550g flour (86.4%). Cutting 7g to 418g locks 85.09%.
Why is salt 11g instead of 10g for 500g flour at 85%?
True 2.0% salinity counts the 50g flour inside your 100g starter (500g + 50g = 550g total flour × 2% = 11g salt), stabilizing the 1029g loaf at 85.09% (85%).
How does 376g autolyse water improve a 500g loaf at 85%?
Soaking 500g flour in 376g water for 45 minutes before adding 100g acidic starter, 11g salt, and 42g water (418g total) builds slack elasticity across the 1029g dough.