Dough Temperature Calculator
Fermentation speed depends on dough temperature, and the only temperature you can easily change is the water's. Enter your target dough temperature and today's flour and room temperatures to get the water temperature to use.
Water = desired dough temp × 3 − flour − room − friction.
Where these numbers come from
- King Arthur Baking — Dough temperature (pro reference) — the formula, 75–78 °F (24–26 °C) target for wheat doughs, low to mid 80s °F for rye sourdough
- King Arthur Baking — Determining the friction factor — 22–24 °F on a stand mixer, 24–28 °F for most mixers per Hamelman, 0–4 °F (up to 6–8 °F) by hand
How it works
Dough temperature after mixing is roughly the average of everything that went in, plus the heat the mixer adds. The desired dough temperature (DDT) method multiplies the target by the number of temperature factors (3 for flour, room and water; 4 when a preferment is added), subtracts the ones you know, and the friction factor, and what is left is the water temperature.
Example from King Arthur Baking: a 76 °F target with 72 °F flour, a 74 °F room and a 24 °F friction factor gives 76 × 3 − 72 − 74 − 24 = 58 °F water. In Celsius the same method works as long as the friction factor is a Celsius rise (the Fahrenheit rise divided by 1.8).
Worked example
Target dough 25 °C, flour 22 °C, room 23 °C, stand mixer with a friction factor of 13 °C (24 °F).
Water = 25 × 3 − 22 − 23 − 13 = 17 °C.
With a 21 °C levain as well: water = 25 × 4 − 22 − 23 − 21 − 13 = 21 °C.
Common mistakes
- Converting the friction factor like a temperature. A 24 °F rise is 13.3 °C (24 ÷ 1.8), not −4.4 °C.
- Guessing the flour temperature. Flour stored in a cold room or warm storeroom can be several degrees off the room; measure it.
- Leaving out the preferment. A levain or poolish is part of the dough's heat, so use the 4-factor formula.
- Never measuring the result. Probe the dough after mixing and use the second mode to find your real friction factor.
When not to rely on it
When the result is below about 1 °C (34 °F) you cannot get there with water alone. Chill the flour, shorten the mix, or accept a warmer dough and shorten fermentation instead of adding large amounts of ice you have not accounted for.
Frequently asked questions
What is desired dough temperature?
The temperature you want the dough to have at the end of mixing. For most wheat breads it is about 24–26 °C (75–78 °F); rye sourdoughs are usually mixed warmer.
What is the friction factor?
The temperature rise the dough picks up while mixing. It depends on the mixer, speed, mixing time and batch size, so it is best measured.
How do I find my friction factor?
Mix a dough, measure its temperature, then: friction = dough temp × 3 − flour − room − water (× 4 and also minus the preferment if you use one). This page does it in the second mode.
Does the formula work in Celsius?
Yes. Use every temperature in °C and the friction factor as a rise in °C (the °F figure divided by 1.8).
What dough temperature should I aim for?
King Arthur Baking gives 75–78 °F (24–26 °C) at the end of mixing for most wheat doughs, a little lower for naturally leavened doughs that are retarded, and the low to mid 80s °F for rye sourdoughs.
Read the guide
Last reviewed: 2026-10-25. Found an error? Email contact@bakerymath.com.
Other BakeryMath calculators
Embed this calculator
Free to use on your own bakery website, blog, or class handout — paste this code where you want the calculator to appear.