Making Sense of Baker's Percentages
Professional baking relies on ratios, not cups or spoons. When you stop thinking in volume and start thinking in percentages, you gain total control over the structure and hydration of your dough.
Move beyond the measuring cup
To use this system, you must weigh your ingredients in grams using a digital scale. Forget volume entirely; if it isn't weighed, you aren't baking by percentage.
- Digital kitchen scale
- Calculator
- Notebook
What goes in.
- 100%Flour (the base)
- 60%–80%Water (hydration)
- 1%–3%Salt
- 0.5%–2%Yeast
Calculating the Weight
To find the weight of an ingredient, multiply the total flour weight by the ingredient's percentage. For 500g of flour at 70% hydration, you calculate 500 x 0.70 to get 350g of water.
The method.
Establish the flour weight
Decide on your total flour weight based on how much dough you need. This number is your 100% constant.
Set your ratios
Determine the percentages for your other ingredients based on the type of bread. A lean baguette might use 65% water, while a ciabatta could jump to 85%.
Calculate individual weights
Multiply the total flour weight by each decimal percentage. Do this for water, salt, yeast, and any fats or sweeteners.
Verify the total
Add the weights together to find the total dough mass. This confirms your math before you start mixing.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always convert percentages to decimals before multiplying (e.g., 75% becomes 0.75).
If you want to scale a recipe, divide your target total weight by the sum of all percentages to find the weight of your flour base.
Keep a log of your percentages for every bake so you can adjust hydration precisely next time.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is flour always 100%?
It serves as the anchor for the entire formula. Since flour is the primary structure-builder in bread, everything else is added relative to it.
Does this work for cakes?
Yes, it is the industry standard for all professional baking, including cakes and pastries, where sugar and fats are often listed at over 100% of the flour weight.
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