Baker's Percentage Calculator

Flour = 100%; every other ingredient as a % of flour by weight. Universal scaling for breads and doughs.

Inputs

Instant yeast 0.7-1%; sourdough starter 15-25%.

Enriched dough 5-12%; lean dough 0%.

Result

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General calculation reads

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How to use this calculator

  • Enter flour weight you want to start with.
  • Enter hydration % (water as % of flour).
  • Enter salt, yeast, fat, sugar percentages.
  • Read the resulting dough composition.

About this calculator

Baker's percentage is the universal way to express bread recipes: flour is always 100%, every other ingredient is a percentage of flour by weight. A "70% hydration" sourdough means 700g water per 1000g flour. This makes recipes infinitely scalable — keep the percentages, change the flour weight to whatever you want. Standard ranges: hydration 60-85% (lean breads), salt 1.8-2.2%, instant yeast 0.5-1.5%, sourdough starter 15-25%, enrichments (fat/sugar) 0-15%.

Frequently asked

Why is salt only ~2%?+
More than 2.5% inhibits yeast and is unpleasantly salty. Less than 1.5% makes dough slack and bland. The 1.8-2.2% sweet spot is universal in pro bakeries.
Hydration determines what?+
Higher hydration = more open crumb, more flavor (more enzymatic activity), but harder to handle. 70% is the typical home-baker sweet spot.
Sourdough starter at 15-25%?+
That's the percent of total flour weight. A 1000g recipe with 20% starter = 200g of starter. The starter itself contains flour and water counted separately for hydration calc.
Why include fat and sugar at 0%?+
Lean breads (baguette, ciabatta) have zero fat. Enriched (brioche, challah) have 5-15%. Setting to 0 lets you ignore that ingredient.
Why pro bakeries use this?+
Lets bakers compare recipes regardless of batch size. "60% hydration ciabatta" is a standard regardless of whether you're making 1 kg or 50 kg.

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