Sourdough Starter Hydration: The Complete Ratio, Conversion, and Decision Guide for Intermediate Bakers
Sourdough starter hydration determines how fast your culture ferments, how extensible your dough becomes, and whether your crumb opens or tightens – not as a vague influence, but as a direct mechanical consequence of the water-to-flour ratio inside the jar. Understanding this ratio, and how to shift it deliberately, changes every decision you make from the first feed to the final cool.
