How to use it
- Choose I have: weights in grams, or baker's percentages.
- Enter the Flour weight in grams. The flour is always 100 %.
- List the other ingredients, one per line, in the box for your choice: a name, a space and the amount.
- Read the table for every ingredient in grams and as a share of the flour, and the Hydration.
What baker's percentages are
A baker's percentage expresses each ingredient's weight as a share of the flour weight, and the flour is always 100 %. Because the base is the flour, the percentages of all the ingredients add up to more than 100 %. Hydration is the water's percentage, and it shows how wet the dough feels. The definition is in the Wikipedia article on baker's percentage.
baker's % = ingredient weight ÷ flour weight × 100
weight = baker's % ÷ 100 × flour weight- Weights to percentages: each weight divided by the flour weight, times 100.
- Percentages to weights: each percentage of the flour weight, which is what a recipe written in percentages needs.
- Kilograms are converted to grams, and decimal commas are read as decimal points.
What this calculator does not cover
- Ingredients inside a pre-ferment, such as a levain. Use the sourdough calculator for those.
- Flour that is split between two types, or hydration that counts the water in a pre-ferment differently.
- The mixing, rising and baking steps of the recipe.
Worked example: 500 g flour and three other ingredients
Water 350 g is 350 ÷ 500 × 100 = 70 %. Salt 10 g is 2 %, and yeast 5 g is 1 %. The total dough is 500 + 350 + 10 + 5 = 865 g.
Entered the other way, 500 g of flour at 70 % water gives 350 g of water, 2 % gives 10 g of salt and 1 % gives 5 g of yeast.
| Ingredient | Grams | Baker's % |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 500 | 100 |
| Water | 350 | 70 |
| Salt | 10 | 2 |
| Yeast | 5 | 1 |
Frequently asked questions
Why is flour 100 % in a baker's percentage?
Flour is the base the other ingredients are measured against, so its share is always 100 %. Every other percentage is a share of that flour weight.
Why do the percentages add up to more than 100 %?
They are all shares of the flour, not of the total dough. Flour is 100 % and the water, salt and other ingredients are added on top, so the sum is always above 100 %.
What is hydration?
Hydration is the water's baker's percentage. A dough at 70 % hydration has 70 g of water for every 100 g of flour.
Can I enter kilograms or percentages with decimals?
Yes. Weights may be in grams or kilograms, and decimals may be written with a dot or a comma. Percentages may have decimals too, such as 0.5 for yeast.
Does the calculator count a sourdough levain?
Not as an ingredient with its own flour and water. Enter the levain as one line, or use the sourdough calculator, which splits the levain into its flour and water.
Sources
Figures and text last checked on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.