High-Hydration 80% Open Crumb Sourdough with 800g Flour, 562g Autolyse & 62g Bassinage (2-Loaf Batch)
Open-crumb 80% formula for 800g flour (1602g 2-loaf batch) staging 62g bassinage water and 160g levain.
In a 800g flour formula at 80%, naive baker's math (640g water + 160g starter) overshoots to 81.8% (+1.8% above spec) across 880g total flour. Setting your scale to 624g water (-16g deduction) and 17.6g salt in a 1602g batch locks True Total Hydration at 80.0% (target 80%).
- Strict True Hydration Water
- 624gLocks True Total Hydration at 80.0% (target 80%, -16g)
- Unadjusted Apparent Water
- 640gPushes True Hydration to 81.8% (+1.8% surge)
- 20% Active Starter & Salt
- 160g / 17.6g80g hidden flour + 80g hidden water
- Stickiness & Rheology
- 4 / 5 StarsArtisan Level (High extensibility)
True (80.0%) vs Apparent (81.8%) Matrix for 800g Flour
Comparing 624g corrected water (-16g cut) against 640g apparent water (81.8% drift) on 800g flour.
| Batch & Seed Spec | Flour Breakdown | Levain Split | Corrected Water (80% Ref) | Salt & Dough Mass | Apparent vs Locked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 750g @ 78% (15% Seed) Smaller Loaf (-50g) | 750g + 57g = 807g (80%/800g ref) | 113g (57gF/56gW @ 100%) | 573g W (vs 585g app @ R1) | 16.1g salt (1436g dough) | 79.4% drift → 77.94% (78% goal) |
| 800g @ 78% (18% Seed) Lower Moisture (-2%) | 800g + 80g = 880g (80%/800g ref) | 144g (80gF/64gW @ 80%) | 622g W (vs 624g app @ R2) | 17.6g salt (1566g dough) | 78.2% drift → 77.95% (78% goal) |
| 800g @ 80% (20% Seed) [Calibrated Target] | 800g + 80g = 880g (80%/800g ref) | 160g (80gF/80gW @ 100%) | 624g W (vs 640g app @ R3) | 17.6g salt (1584g dough) | 81.8% drift → 80.0% (80% goal) |
| 800g @ 82% (22% Seed) Higher Moisture (+2%) | 800g + 88g = 888g (80%/800g ref) | 176g (88gF/88gW @ 100%) | 640g W (vs 656g app @ R4) | 17.8g salt (1616g dough) | 83.8% drift → 81.98% (82% goal) |
| 850g @ 82% (25% Seed) Larger Batch (+50g) | 850g + 95g = 945g (80%/800g ref) | 213g (95gF/118gW @ 125%) | 657g W (vs 697g app @ R5) | 18.9g salt (1720g dough) | 86.2% drift → 82.01% (82% goal) |
Custom Batch Recalculation Engine
Fine-tune starter hydration between 50% stiff and 125% liquid while keeping your hydration × flour weight formula ratios locked.
Wet Viscosity Control at 80% Hydration (800g Flour / 624g Corrected Water)
Fermentation enzymatics inside 160g starter cleave proteins across 80g flour while releasing 80g unbound water into your 800g dough. Avoiding the 81.8% (+1.8%) slump of an unadjusted 640g pour requires 624g water (562g + 62g) and 17.6g salt, which locks True Total Hydration at 80.0% (target 80%).
Glutenin macropolymer alignment for 800g flour at 80% hydration improves when 562g water (90% of 624g) swells endosperm proteins for 45 minutes prior to adding 160g acidic levain, 17.6g salt, and 62g reserved water—preventing the 81.8% slump of 640g water.
Step-by-Step Mixing & Folding Protocol for a 1602g Batch (800g @ 80%)
- Pre-Ferment & 562g Autolyse (800g Flour): Verify 160g levain is domed, then soak 800g flour in 562g water for 40–50 min.
- Rubaud Emulsification (624g Total Main Water): Rubaud-mix 160g starter (80gF/80gW), 17.6g salt, and 62g reserved water into the 1602g mass (80%).
- Alveolar Structuring (80.0% True Moisture): Execute 4 coil folds spaced 30 min apart to manage high stretch on 880g flour.
- Retardation & Scoring (2-Loaf Batch / 1602g): Preshape, tension-stitch into a rice-floured liner, chill 12–16 hrs at 38°F, and bake at 450°F.
Technical Q&A: High-Hydration 80% Open Crumb Sourdough with 800
Why does unadjusted 640g water cause a +1.8% surge on 800g flour at 80%?
Because 80% is below 100% starter hydration, 160g starter (80gW / 80gF) raises 640g water to 720g over 880g flour (81.8%). Cutting 16g to 624g locks 80.0%.
How much starter and salt go into 800g flour at 80% hydration?
At 20% inoculation and 2% total-flour salt, combine 800g flour with 160g active starter (80gF + 80gW), 624g water, and 17.6g salt (2% of 880g total flour) for a 1602g batch.
How sticky is a 800g flour sourdough at 80% hydration (624g water)?
At 80.0% (target 80%) with 624g water and 160g starter on 800g flour, rheology scores 4/5 stars (Artisan Level) with high extensibility.