Why bakers use percentages
Baker's percentage keeps a formula scalable because every ingredient is expressed relative to total flour. Hydration is usually the most important number for dough handling; salt affects flavor and fermentation; yeast amount depends heavily on time and temperature.
Example
With 1,000 g flour and 650 g water, hydration is 65%. If salt is 25 g, salt is 2.5% of flour weight; if yeast is 3 g, yeast is 0.3%.
Common mistakes
Do not calculate hydration as water divided by total dough weight. Baker's percentage always compares each ingredient with flour weight.
Limitations
The calculator does not choose fermentation time, flour strength, dough temperature or handling method. The same percentages can behave differently with different flour and room temperature.
Last reviewed: 2026-05-17