Baker's Percentage Calculator
Find water and salt from flour weight and hydration.
Baker's percentages express every ingredient relative to the flour (always 100%). Great for scaling bread recipes.
How the Math Works
The Baker's Percentage Calculator uses a fundamental formula in bread baking where all ingredients are expressed as a percentage of the total flour weight. The calculation works by multiplying the flour weight by the hydration percentage to determine water amount (water = flour × hydration%), and by multiplying the flour weight by the salt percentage to determine salt amount (salt = flour × salt%). For example, if you have 500g of flour at 65% hydration and 2% salt, you would calculate 325g of water (500 × 0.65) and 10g of salt (500 × 0.02).
Practical Applications
To use this calculator practically, first determine your desired hydration level based on your flour type and recipe requirements, then input your available flour weight. Professional bakers typically use 60-70% hydration for standard breads, while artisanal breads may reach 75-85%. After entering your flour weight and desired percentages, the calculator instantly provides the exact water and salt measurements needed. You can also work backwards - if you have a recipe with specific water and salt amounts, divide each by the flour weight to find the exact percentages for future scaling.
Day-to-Day Use
This calculator transforms bread baking from guesswork into precision science, helping you achieve consistent results regardless of batch size. Whether you're scaling up for a family gathering or down for a cozy dinner, the ratios stay perfect. It's especially valuable for troubleshooting - if your dough is too sticky or dry, you can quickly recalculate with adjusted hydration percentages. Beyond baking, understanding these proportional relationships helps with other cooking applications like pasta making, pastry work, or any recipe where ingredient ratios matter more than absolute quantities.
Worked example
1,000 g flour at 70% hydration, 2% salt → 700 g water, 20 g salt (1,720 g dough).
FAQ
What is hydration?
The weight of water as a percentage of the flour weight — higher hydration gives a more open crumb.