Hydration Levels

Simply a matter of the weight of the water in a recipe compared to the weight of the flour in the recipe.

Weight of the water divided by the weight of the flour is the hydration ratio. Multiply the ratio by 100 and you have the hydration percentage(or level).

If a recipe calls for a pound(16 ounces by weight) of flour and 8 ounces(by weight) of water:

8 / 16 = .5

.5 x 100 = 50%

So your recipe has a hydration level of 50 %. Half as much water as flour(by weight).

This 50% hydration dough is pretty firm. Almost a stiff dough(depending on what other ingredients are used).

Fresh Loaf Handbook for Baker's Math:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/handbook/baker039s-math

For other basic fundamentals of breadmaking, click on the "handbook" tab at the top of any page.

Good luck!

The flour is your constant (100%), so all your other ingredients are based off of it.  So, if you are starting with 1000 grams of flour and want 65% hydration, you simply multiply .65 (hydration percentage) by 1000 grams (weight of flour), or 650 grams of water.  You do the same for all your other ingredients. 

Salt - 1.5%  (1000x.015 = 15 grams of salt)

So, simply:

Flour Weight x Other Ingredient % = Grams of other ingredient.