Cooking & Kitchen

Baker's Percentage

Definition

Baker's percentage is a notation system where every ingredient in a bread recipe is expressed as a percentage of the total flour weight, with flour always set at 100%.

Explanation

If a recipe uses 1,000 g flour and 650 g water, the hydration is 65%. This system lets bakers scale recipes up or down instantly and compare dough characteristics across formulas. A baguette dough is typically 60–65% hydration; ciabatta runs 75–80%. Salt is usually 1.8–2%, and yeast around 1%. The method is standard in professional bakeries worldwide.

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RELATED TERMS

Cup (Measurement)

A cooking volume unit. The US cup equals 236.588 ml; the metric cup is 250 ml.

Tablespoon

A cooking volume unit. The US tablespoon equals approximately 14.787 ml.

Teaspoon

A cooking volume unit. The US teaspoon equals approximately 4.929 ml.

Fluid Ounce

A fluid ounce is a unit of liquid volume, with the US fluid ounce equal to 29.5735 mL and the imperial (UK) fluid ounce equal to 28.4131 mL.

Dash & Pinch

A dash is an informal culinary measure of approximately 1/8 teaspoon (0.6 mL), and a pinch is approximately 1/16 teaspoon (0.3 mL).