Baker’s percentage is a system where flour is always 100%, and every other ingredient is expressed as a percentage of the flour’s weight. It’s how professional formulas are written, because it makes recipes scalable and easy to compare at a glance.
How it works
If a recipe has 1,000 g flour, 650 g water, 20 g salt, and 10 g yeast, the percentages are water 65%, salt 2%, yeast 1%. Notice they add to more than 100% — that’s normal, because everything is relative to flour, not to the total weight.
Why bakers love it
Want half the dough? Scale every weight by the same factor and the percentages stay identical. Comparing two recipes? The percentages instantly tell you which is wetter or saltier. A typical lean bread sits near:
| Ingredient | Baker’s % |
|---|---|
| Flour | 100% |
| Water | 60–75% |
| Salt | ~2% |
| Yeast (instant) | 0.5–1% |
To use it, decide your total flour, then multiply by each percentage to get the other weights. Weighing in grams makes it effortless.
Frequently asked questions
Why can percentages exceed 100%? Because each is relative to flour, not the total recipe.
What’s the water percentage called? Hydration — water weight ÷ flour weight.
Do I need a scale? Practically yes — baker’s percentages are weight-based.