How to Calculate Baker's Percentage
Baker's percentage expresses every ingredient as a share of the total flour weight, which always counts as 100%. Divide each ingredient's weight by the flour weight and multiply by 100: 1,000 g flour, 700 g water and 20 g salt is 100% flour, 70% water and 2% salt.
The formula
ingredient % = ingredient weight ÷ total flour weight × 100
Weigh everything in the same unit. Grams are easiest, but ounces work too, as long as every ingredient uses the same one.
Worked example
| Ingredient | Weight | Baker's % |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1,000 g | 100% |
| Water | 700 g | 70% |
| Starter (100% hydration) | 200 g | 20% |
| Salt | 20 g | 2% |
That's the simple version. Because the starter is half flour and half water, the dough really holds 1,100 g of flour and 800 g of water, so its true hydration is 72.7% and the starter is 18.2% of all the flour. Both ways are used; say which one you mean. See how to calculate hydration with a starter.
Step by step
- Add up all the flour. Bread flour, whole wheat, rye: together they're 100%.
- Divide each ingredient by that total. 700 ÷ 1,000 = 0.70.
- Multiply by 100: 70%.
- Write the formula down as percentages. Now it scales to any batch size.
Scaling a recipe
Going the other way, pick the flour weight and multiply. For two 900 g loaves, the dough above weighs 1,920 g per 1,000 g of flour (100 + 70 + 20 + 2 = 192%). 1,800 g of dough ÷ 1.92 = 938 g flour, then 656 g water, 188 g starter and 19 g salt.
Typical percentages for bread
- Water: around 60–65% for sandwich loaves, 70–80% for open-crumb sourdough and ciabatta.
- Salt: usually about 1.8–2.2%.
- Starter: often 10–25% of the flour, lower in warm kitchens.
These are common ranges, not rules. Flour type and temperature matter as much as the numbers.
Common mistakes
- Dividing by the total dough weight. Every percentage is relative to flour only.
- Mixing units. Cups don't work; flour and water weigh very differently per cup.
- Forgetting the flour in the starter when you quote hydration.
The calculator counts the flour and water inside your starter and any poolish or biga, so its hydration is the dough's true hydration.
Questions
Why don't baker's percentages add up to 100?
Because flour alone is 100% and every other ingredient is measured against it. A typical bread formula adds up to around 170–180%.
What if the recipe uses two kinds of flour?
Add them together for the 100%. 800 g bread flour plus 200 g whole wheat is 1,000 g of flour, and each flour is then 80% and 20%.
How do I scale a recipe with baker's percentages?
Pick the flour weight you want, then multiply it by each ingredient's percentage. For 750 g flour at 70% water and 2% salt: 525 g water and 15 g salt.