High-Hydration 78% Open Crumb Sourdough with 800g Flour, 545g Autolyse & 61g Bassinage (2-Loaf Batch)
Open-crumb 78% formula for 800g flour (1584g 2-loaf batch) staging 61g bassinage water and 160g levain.
A 1584g sourdough batch using 800g flour and 160g starter holds 880g total flour (800g + 80g). While 624g apparent water creates 80% wetness (+2% drift), cutting 18g to 606g main water with 17.6g salt locks True Total Hydration at 77.95% (target 78%).
- Strict True Hydration Water
- 606gLocks True Total Hydration at 77.95% (target 78%, -18g)
- Unadjusted Apparent Water
- 624gPushes True Hydration to 80% (+2% surge)
- 20% Active Starter & Salt
- 160g / 17.6g80g hidden flour + 80g hidden water
- Stickiness & Rheology
- 4 / 5 StarsArtisan Level (High extensibility)
Starter Inoculation & Water Deduction Table Around 800g Flour @ 78%
Exact autolyse (545g) and bassinage (61g) water calibration around 800g flour at 78% hydration.
| Batch & Seed Spec | Flour Breakdown | Levain Split | Corrected Water (78% Ref) | Salt & Dough Mass | Apparent vs Locked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 750g @ 76% (15% Seed) Reduced Flour (-50g) | 750g + 57g = 807g (78%/800g ref) | 113g (57gF/56gW @ 100%) | 557g W (vs 570g app @ R1) | 16.1g salt (1420g dough) | 77.6% drift → 75.96% (76% goal) |
| 800g @ 76% (18% Seed) Stiffer Step (-2%) | 800g + 80g = 880g (78%/800g ref) | 144g (80gF/64gW @ 80%) | 605g W (vs 608g app @ R2) | 17.6g salt (1549g dough) | 76.4% drift → 76.02% (76% goal) |
| 800g @ 78% (20% Seed) [Primary Formula] | 800g + 80g = 880g (78%/800g ref) | 160g (80gF/80gW @ 100%) | 606g W (vs 624g app @ R3) | 17.6g salt (1566g dough) | 80.0% drift → 77.95% (78% goal) |
| 800g @ 80% (22% Seed) Wetter Step (+2%) | 800g + 88g = 888g (78%/800g ref) | 176g (88gF/88gW @ 100%) | 622g W (vs 640g app @ R4) | 17.8g salt (1598g dough) | 82.0% drift → 79.95% (80% goal) |
| 850g @ 80% (25% Seed) Up-Scaled (+50g) | 850g + 95g = 945g (78%/800g ref) | 213g (95gF/118gW @ 125%) | 638g W (vs 680g app @ R5) | 18.9g salt (1701g dough) | 84.4% drift → 80.0% (80% goal) |
On-Bench Hydration & Fermentation Adjuster
Modify base flour mass, levain inoculation, or ambient kitchen temperature below to recalculate from this 606g baseline.
Wet Viscosity Control at 78% Hydration (800g Flour / 606g Corrected Water)
Flour-water coupling on 800g base grain changes once 160g liquid levain (80g F / 80g W) enters the mixer: 624g main water creates 704g total water (80%, +2% overshoot). Scaling back 18g to 606g water over 880g total flour locks True Total Hydration at 77.95% (target 78%).
Rated 4/5 for surface tack (Artisan Level), a 800g batch mixed with 606g corrected water and 17.6g salt (2.0% of 880g total flour) shows high alveolar stretch. Trickling 61g bassinage water after a 545g rest stabilizes the 77.95% (78%) gluten film.
Execution Schedule: 800g Flour, 606g Water & 160g Starter (77.95%)
- Endosperm Saturation (800g Flour / 545g Water): Rub 545g water into 800g flour (saving 61g of 606g) and rest 40 min.
- Ionic Salt & Culture Mix (160g Levain + 17.6g Sea Salt): Pinch 160g peaked starter and 17.6g salt dissolved in 61g water into the 1584g batch (-18g vs 624g).
- Rheological Laminations (78% / 77.95%): Perform 1 bench lamination plus 3 coil folds every 35 min for supple tenacity across 880g system flour.
- Cold Proof & Dutch Oven Spring (1584g): Preshape at +50% expansion, stitch into a banneton for 12–16 hrs at 38°F, score at 45°, and bake at 450°F.
Common Scaling & Troubleshooting Questions (606g)
How much water do I deduct for 160g starter in a 800g / 78% recipe?
Deduct 18g of water from the 624g apparent weight (pouring 606g main water instead) to offset the +2% surge (80%) from 160g starter (80gW/80gF).
Should I use slap-and-fold or coil folds for 800g flour at 78% (606g water)?
With 606g water (545g + 61g) and 160g starter on 800g flour (1584g batch, 4/5 tack), use 4 damp-hand coil folds 30 minutes apart to align the 880g flour network.
Why does unadjusted 624g water cause a +2% surge on 800g flour at 78%?
Because 78% is below 100% starter hydration, 160g starter (80gW / 80gF) raises 624g water to 704g over 880g flour (80%). Cutting 18g to 606g locks 77.95%.