Added hydration only uses the main mix
Added hydration divides water poured into the final dough by the main flour added to the final dough. With 500 g main flour and 350 g added water, added hydration is 70%.
This number is useful when following a simple mixing instruction, but it does not describe the complete formula if a starter or levain is present.
Total hydration includes the starter split
A 100 g starter at 100% hydration contains 50 g flour and 50 g water. Combined with 500 g main flour and 350 g added water, the formula contains 550 g total flour and 400 g total water.
Total hydration is therefore 400 ÷ 550 × 100, or about 72.7%. Salt percentage should also be calculated against 550 g total flour when you want the complete formula percentage.
Cases that deserve a manual check
A stiff starter contributes proportionally more flour; a liquid starter contributes proportionally more water. Enter the actual starter hydration instead of assuming every starter is 100%.
If a calculated amount of added water becomes negative, the starter already contains more water than the target hydration allows. Reduce the starter, increase the target hydration, or use a stiffer starter rather than rounding the negative value to zero.
Related calculators
DoughMath guides are educational explanations for formula math. Use the linked calculators for exact weights before baking.