600g Flour at 65% Low-Hydration Sourdough: 369g Water, 120g Starter & 13.2g Salt (1 Standard Loaf)
Stiff 65% formula for 600g flour (1102g dough, 1 standard loaf), deducting 21g starter water from 390g.
Scaling a 600g sourdough build to 65% with 120g 1:1:1 levain means an unadjusted 390g water pour drifts to 68.2% (+3.2% excess) from 60g hidden liquid and 60g fermented flour. Weighing 369g main water (-21g offset) plus 13.2g sea salt locks True Total Hydration at 65.0% (target 65%) across a 1102g loaf.
- Strict True Hydration Water
- 369gLocks True Total Hydration at 65.0% (target 65%, -21g)
- Unadjusted Apparent Water
- 390gPushes True Hydration to 68.2% (+3.2% surge)
- 20% Active Starter & Salt
- 120g / 13.2g60g hidden flour + 60g hidden water
- Stickiness & Rheology
- 1 / 5 StarsBeginner Friendly (Low extensibility)
600g Flour at 65% Hydration: 2D Scale & Starter Sensitivity Matrix
Exact autolyse (332g) and bassinage (37g) water calibration around 600g flour at 65% hydration.
| Batch & Seed Spec | Flour Breakdown | Levain Split | Corrected Water (65% Ref) | Salt & Dough Mass | Apparent vs Locked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 550g @ 63% (15% Seed) Reduced Flour (-50g) | 550g + 42g = 592g (65%/600g ref) | 83g (42gF/41gW @ 100%) | 332g W (vs 347g app @ R1) | 11.8g salt (965g dough) | 65.5% drift → 63.01% (63% goal) |
| 600g @ 63% (18% Seed) Stiffer Step (-2%) | 600g + 60g = 660g (65%/600g ref) | 108g (60gF/48gW @ 80%) | 368g W (vs 378g app @ R2) | 13.2g salt (1076g dough) | 64.5% drift → 63.03% (63% goal) |
| 600g @ 65% (20% Seed) [Primary Formula] | 600g + 60g = 660g (65%/600g ref) | 120g (60gF/60gW @ 100%) | 369g W (vs 390g app @ R3) | 13.2g salt (1089g dough) | 68.2% drift → 65.0% (65% goal) |
| 600g @ 67% (22% Seed) Wetter Step (+2%) | 600g + 66g = 666g (65%/600g ref) | 132g (66gF/66gW @ 100%) | 380g W (vs 402g app @ R4) | 13.3g salt (1112g dough) | 70.3% drift → 66.97% (67% goal) |
| 650g @ 67% (25% Seed) Up-Scaled (+50g) | 650g + 72g = 722g (65%/600g ref) | 163g (72gF/91gW @ 125%) | 393g W (vs 436g app @ R5) | 14.4g salt (1206g dough) | 73.0% drift → 67.04% (67% goal) |
Dynamic Stoichiometric Workbench (369g)
Test custom loaf weights or alternative fermentation schedules directly against the 390g benchmark above.
Why 65% Low-Hydration Sourdough (600g Flour / 369g Water) Holds Spring
Mass-balance stoichiometry for 600g flour and 120g 1:1:1 levain tracks 60g pre-fermented starch and 60g free liquid across a 1102g batch. Leaving water at 390g inflates moisture to 68.2% (+3.2%), whereas 369g water (-21g) with 13.2g salt locks True Total Hydration at 65.0% (target 65%).
When 600g flour is mixed to 65% (65.0%) using 369g water, 120g levain, and 13.2g salt (1102g total), reserving 37g water from the 332g autolyse keeps dough stickiness at 1/5 instead of drifting to 68.2%.
4-Stage Autolyse, Bassinage & Coil-Fold Workflow for 600g Flour at 65%
- Enzymatic Rest (600g Flour + 332g Water): Blend 332g water into 600g flour (holding back 37g of 369g) for 45 min.
- True-65% Calibration (-21g Deduction): Incorporate 120g starter, 13.2g sea salt, and 37g water to yield 1102g dough at 65.0% (vs 68.2%).
- Tension Alignment (660g System Flour): Perform 4 damp-hand coil folds every 30 min tailored to 1/5 stickiness and high tenacity elasticity.
- Overnight Retard & Cast-Iron Bake (1 Standard Loaf): Terminate bulk at +50% rise, cold-proof at 38°F, score deeply, and bake at 450°F.
Key Baker's Math Questions (Strict True Hydration Water: 369g)
How sticky is a 600g flour sourdough at 65% hydration (369g water)?
At 65.0% (target 65%) with 369g water and 120g starter on 600g flour, rheology scores 1/5 stars (Beginner Friendly) with low extensibility.
Is 65% hydration too wet for 600g of bread flour?
At 65% (369g water on 600g flour, 1102g dough), the 65.0% formula sits comfortably inside standard 11.7%–12.7% protein flour limits (1/5 tack).
What happens if I use a 50% stiff levain (120g) with 600g flour at 65%?
A 120g stiff levain (50% hydration) contains 80g flour and 40g water, requiring 402g main water instead of 369g on 600g flour to hold 65%.