How Baker's Percentages Work
Every ingredient in bread is expressed as a percentage of the flour weight. If you use 500g flour and a recipe calls for 70% hydration, you need 350g water. This system lets you scale any recipe instantly and compare different bread formulas at a glance.
Flour is always 100%. Everything else is relative to it. A typical lean bread is 60-75% water, 2% salt, and 0.5-2% instant yeast. Enriched doughs add sugar, fat, and eggs on top.
Bread Ratios by Type
| Bread Type | Hydration | Salt | Yeast | Key Additions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandwich Bread | 60% | 2% | 1.5% | Sugar, butter |
| French Baguette | 66% | 2% | 0.8% | None (lean dough) |
| Sourdough | 75% | 2% | — | 20% starter |
| Ciabatta | 80% | 2% | 0.5% | Olive oil optional |
| Focaccia | 75% | 2% | 1% | 5% olive oil |
| Pizza Dough | 63% | 2.5% | 0.5% | Olive oil optional |
| Brioche | 55% | 2% | 2% | Sugar, butter, eggs |
| Whole Wheat | 72% | 2% | 1.5% | Vital wheat gluten |
Hydration and Dough Texture
Hydration is the single biggest factor in bread texture. Lower hydration (55-62%) gives tight, sliceable crumb for sandwich bread. Medium hydration (63-70%) creates a balance of structure and openness. High hydration (72-85%) produces the large, irregular holes you see in ciabatta and artisan sourdough, but is harder to handle.
If you are new to bread baking, start with sandwich bread (60% hydration) and work your way up. High-hydration doughs require practice with stretch and fold techniques rather than traditional kneading.
Yeast Types and Conversion
| Yeast Type | Amount (per 500g flour) | Conversion |
|---|---|---|
| Instant (bread machine) | 5-7g | Baseline |
| Active dry | 6-9g | Use 25% more than instant |
| Fresh (cake yeast) | 15-21g | Use 3x instant amount |
This calculator uses instant yeast amounts. Multiply by 1.25 for active dry yeast, or by 3 for fresh cake yeast. Instant yeast can go directly into flour. Active dry should be dissolved in warm water first.
FAQ
What does hydration mean in bread baking?
Hydration is the ratio of water to flour by weight. A 500g flour dough at 70% hydration uses 350g of water. Higher hydration means wetter dough and more open crumb. It does not include water from eggs, milk, or starter.
How much bread does 500g of flour make?
About 800g of finished bread, which is roughly one standard loaf or two baguettes. Expect 10-15% weight loss during baking from moisture evaporation. 500g flour is a good starting batch for home bakers.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?
Yes, but the texture will be slightly different. Bread flour has 12-14% protein and creates more gluten, giving bread better structure and chew. All-purpose has 10-12% protein and works fine for most breads. For whole wheat, always add vital wheat gluten to compensate.
How do I convert from instant yeast to sourdough?
Replace all yeast with 20% sourdough starter (by flour weight). For 500g flour, that is 100g of active starter. Increase bulk ferment time from 1-2 hours to 4-12 hours depending on starter strength and room temperature.
Related Tools
- Cooking Unit Converter — convert between grams, ounces, cups, and tablespoons
- Recipe Scaler — scale any recipe up or down to your desired servings
- Cooking Time Calculator — baking times and temperatures for all proteins