We analyzed 85 real sourdough recipes from top baking sites. Here's the data on hydration percentages, flour types, oven temperatures, and baking methods.
Percentage of recipes falling into each hydration range.
| Recipe Name | Source | Hydration | Flour Type | Temp (°F) |
|---|
Based on our analysis of 85 sourdough recipes from top baking sites, the average sourdough hydration is 77.8%, with a median of 77.0%. Most recipes (75%) fall in the 70–85% range. Hydration below 65% produces a stiff dough suited for bagels, while hydration above 85% creates an open, ciabatta-like crumb.
Bread flour is the most commonly used flour across the recipes we analyzed, appearing in 38% of recipes. All-purpose flour is the second most popular at 25%. Whole wheat blends account for 14%, offering more complex flavor but requiring hydration adjustments.
The most common baking temperature across all analyzed recipes is 450°F (232°C), used by 53% of recipes. The average baking temperature is 431°F. Most recipes start high (450–500°F) for oven spring, then reduce to 400–425°F for the remainder of the bake.
A significant portion of the recipes in our dataset call for a Dutch oven. Baking in a Dutch oven traps steam during the first 20–30 minutes, which promotes better oven spring, a crispier crust, and more consistent results — especially for home ovens that can't inject steam.
Bulk fermentation times in our dataset range from 2 to 12 hours, depending on temperature and starter activity. The most common range is 3–5 hours at room temperature (72–78°F). Cold retard (overnight in the fridge) extends this to 12–18 hours and develops more complex sour flavor.
Data collection: We scraped sourdough recipe pages from four of the internet's most respected baking resources: King Arthur Baking (kingarthurbaking.com), The Perfect Loaf (theperfectloaf.com), Breadtopia (breadtopia.com), and Alexandra Cooks (alexandracooks.com). These sites were selected because they consistently provide weight-based measurements (grams), detailed instructions, and are widely cited in the baking community.
Hydration calculation: For each recipe, hydration was calculated as (total water weight ÷ total flour weight) × 100. Sourdough starter weight was excluded from the calculation since its composition varies. Recipes where hydration could not be determined (cup-only measurements, missing water/flour weights) were marked as null. Values outside the 55–100% range were flagged as outliers.
Limitations: This dataset reflects recipes published on English-language baking sites, which skews toward North American and European baking traditions. Recipes using volume measurements (cups) rather than weight (grams) may have less accurate hydration calculations. Some non-sourdough recipes from the same sites may have been included in the dataset. Data was collected on March 8, 2026.
Reproducibility: The scraping script and raw data are available in our GitHub repository. The analysis can be independently verified.
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