High-Hydration 80% Open Crumb Sourdough with 700g Flour, 491g Autolyse & 55g Bassinage (2-Loaf Batch)
Open-crumb 80% formula for 700g flour (1401g 2-loaf batch) staging 55g bassinage water and 140g levain.
Mixing 700g unbleached flour, 560g water, and 140g liquid starter pushes real hydration to 81.8% (+1.8% overshoot) across 770g total grain. Measuring 546g corrected water (491g autolyse + 55g bassinage), 140g levain, and 15.4g salt removes 14g excess water and locks True Total Hydration at 80.0% (target 80%).
- Strict True Hydration Water
- 546gLocks True Total Hydration at 80.0% (target 80%, -14g)
- Unadjusted Apparent Water
- 560gPushes True Hydration to 81.8% (+1.8% surge)
- 20% Active Starter & Salt
- 140g / 15.4g70g hidden flour + 70g hidden water
- Stickiness & Rheology
- 4 / 5 StarsArtisan Level (High extensibility)
Gravimetric Scaling Table for 700g Base Flour at 80% Hydration
Pre-computed gram weights around 700g main flour where 546g water locks True Total Hydration at 80.0% (target 80%).
| Batch & Seed Spec | Flour Breakdown | Levain Split | Corrected Water (80% Ref) | Salt & Dough Mass | Apparent vs Locked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 650g @ 78% (15% Seed) Compact Mix (-50g) | 650g + 49g = 699g (80%/700g ref) | 98g (49gF/49gW @ 100%) | 496g W (vs 507g app @ R1) | 14.0g salt (1244g dough) | 79.5% drift → 77.97% (78% goal) |
| 700g @ 78% (18% Seed) Conservative Pour | 700g + 70g = 770g (80%/700g ref) | 126g (70gF/56gW @ 80%) | 545g W (vs 546g app @ R2) | 15.4g salt (1371g dough) | 78.2% drift → 78.05% (78% goal) |
| 700g @ 80% (20% Seed) [Locked Benchmark] | 700g + 70g = 770g (80%/700g ref) | 140g (70gF/70gW @ 100%) | 546g W (vs 560g app @ R3) | 15.4g salt (1386g dough) | 81.8% drift → 80.0% (80% goal) |
| 700g @ 82% (22% Seed) Open-Crumb Push | 700g + 77g = 777g (80%/700g ref) | 154g (77gF/77gW @ 100%) | 560g W (vs 574g app @ R4) | 15.5g salt (1414g dough) | 83.8% drift → 81.98% (82% goal) |
| 750g @ 82% (25% Seed) Expanded Loaf (+50g) | 750g + 84g = 834g (80%/700g ref) | 188g (84gF/104gW @ 125%) | 580g W (vs 615g app @ R5) | 16.7g salt (1518g dough) | 86.2% drift → 82.01% (82% goal) |
On-Bench Hydration & Fermentation Adjuster
Modify base flour mass, levain inoculation, or ambient kitchen temperature below to recalculate from this 546g baseline.
Wet Viscosity Control at 80% Hydration (700g Flour / 546g Corrected Water)
In a 1401g loaf built from 700g flour, 140g starter alters the solvent-to-solids ratio by injecting 70g water alongside 70g flour. Replacing the naive 560g water weight (81.8% true moisture) with 546g (-14g cut) and 15.4g salt locks True Total Hydration at 80.0% (target 80%).
Viscoelastic creep tests at 80% hydration (546g water + 140g starter on 700g flour) confirm supple elastic recovery when 15.4g salt reinforces the 770g protein matrix and 55g bassinage water is emulsified after the 491g autolyse (1401g dough).
Rheological Handling Guide (4/5 Tack) for 700g Flour at 80%
- Enzymatic Rest (700g Flour + 491g Water): Blend 491g water into 700g flour (holding back 55g of 546g) for 45 min.
- True-80% Calibration (-14g Deduction): Incorporate 140g starter, 15.4g sea salt, and 55g water to yield 1401g dough at 80.0% (vs 81.8%).
- Tension Alignment (770g System Flour): Perform 4 damp-hand coil folds every 30 min tailored to 4/5 stickiness and supple elasticity.
- Overnight Retard & Cast-Iron Bake (2-Loaf Batch): Terminate bulk at +50% rise, cold-proof at 38°F, score deeply, and bake at 450°F.
Common Scaling & Troubleshooting Questions (546g)
Is 80% hydration too wet for 700g of bread flour?
At 80% (546g water on 700g flour, 1401g batch), require 13.2%–14.9% high-gluten flour plus 491g autolyse and 55g bassinage staging to hold 80.0%.
How does 491g autolyse water improve a 700g loaf at 80%?
Soaking 700g flour in 491g water for 45 minutes before adding 140g acidic starter, 15.4g salt, and 55g water (546g total) builds supple elasticity across the 1401g dough.
How much starter and salt go into 700g flour at 80% hydration?
At 20% inoculation and 2% total-flour salt, combine 700g flour with 140g active starter (70gF + 70gW), 546g water, and 15.4g salt (2% of 770g total flour) for a 1401g batch.