Total Hydration vs Added Hydration

Sourdough formulas can look wetter or drier depending on whether starter flour and water are included.

Added hydration

Added hydration uses only added water divided by main flour.

It is useful when following a simple recipe written without preferment math.

Total hydration adds starter flour to total flour and starter water to total water.

This is the more accurate number for comparing sourdough formulas.

DoughMath guides are educational explanations for formula math. Use the linked calculators for exact weights before baking.