Introduction: Understanding Baker’s Percentage
Baker’s percentage is the foundation of bread making, where all ingredients are expressed as a percentage of the flour weight (which is always 100%). This system allows bakers to scale recipes easily, maintain consistency, and troubleshoot problems. Whether you’re baking a simple loaf or complex artisanal bread, these formulas will help you achieve professional results every time.
Core Bread Formulas by Type
Basic Bread Formulas
| Bread Type | Flour | Water | Salt | Yeast (Fresh) | Yeast (Instant) | Hydration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Sandwich | 100% | 60-65% | 2% | 5% | 1.7% | 60-65% |
| French Baguette | 100% | 65-70% | 2% | 2.5% | 0.8% | 65-70% |
| Ciabatta | 100% | 75-85% | 2% | 2% | 0.7% | 75-85% |
| Sourdough | 100% | 65-80% | 2% | 15-25% starter | – | 65-80% |
| Focaccia | 100% | 70-80% | 2-2.5% | 1.5% | 0.5% | 70-80% |
| Whole Wheat | 100% | 65-85% | 2% | 2.5% | 0.8% | 65-85% |
| Rye Bread | 100% | 80-90% | 2% | 3% | 1% | 80-90% |
| Brioche | 100% | 50-60% | 2% | 6% | 2% | 50-60% |
Note: Brioche also includes 50-60% butter and 30-40% eggs (percentages based on flour weight)
Enriched Bread Add-ins (% of flour weight)
- Butter/Oil: 3-10% for soft sandwich bread, 25-100% for enriched pastry doughs
- Sugar: 5-12% for standard enriched bread, 15-30% for sweet breads
- Eggs: 15-25% for enriched dough, 30-60% for very rich doughs
- Milk (replacing water): 20-100% (partially or fully)
Step-by-Step Bread Making Process
Mixing – Combine ingredients according to formula
- Direct method: All ingredients mixed at once
- Indirect method: Create preferment first, then add remaining ingredients
Primary Fermentation – First rise
- Room temperature: 1-2 hours
- Refrigerated: 8-24 hours
Folding/Degassing – Develop gluten structure
- Gentle folds: Every 30-45 minutes during bulk fermentation
- Number of folds: Typically 3-4 sets for most doughs
Dividing & Pre-shaping – Create uniform pieces
- Rest period: 15-20 minutes after dividing (bench rest)
Final Shaping – Create desired form
- Tension development is critical for proper structure
Proofing – Final rise before baking
- Room temperature: 45-90 minutes
- Refrigerated: 8-24 hours
- Proper proofing test: Dough springs back slowly when gently pressed
Baking – Transform dough into bread
- Lean doughs: 425-500°F (218-260°C)
- Enriched doughs: 350-400°F (175-204°C)
- Steam during first 10-15 minutes for crusty breads
Preferment Formulas
| Preferment Type | Flour | Water | Yeast | Fermentation Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poolish | 100% | 100% | 0.1-0.25% | 12-16 hours |
| Biga | 100% | 60-65% | 0.1-0.25% | 12-18 hours |
| Pâte Fermentée | 100% | 60-65% | 0.1-0.25% | 12-16 hours |
| Sourdough Starter | 100% | 100% | natural | 8-12 hours |
Note: Preferment percentages typically represent 20-40% of total flour weight in final dough
Hydration Guide by Flour Type
| Flour Type | Recommended Hydration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| White Bread Flour | 60-75% | Standard all-purpose or bread flour |
| High-Protein Flour | 65-80% | Can absorb more water (12-14% protein) |
| Whole Wheat Flour | 75-85% | Absorbs more water due to bran content |
| Rye Flour | 80-95% | High absorption capacity |
| Spelt Flour | 65-75% | Less water than wheat, weaker gluten |
| Durum/Semolina | 55-70% | Harder wheat variety |
Common Bread Problems & Solutions
| Problem | Possible Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Dense, gummy crumb | Underproofed, undermixed, or too low hydration | Increase proofing time, mixing, or water |
| Collapsed loaf | Overproofed or too high hydration | Reduce proofing time or water content |
| Poor rise | Weak yeast, cold environment, or insufficient kneading | Use fresh yeast, warmer environment, or increase kneading |
| Cracked crust | Too little steam or overproofed | Add steam during baking, reduce proofing time |
| Tough crust | Overbaked or too low hydration | Reduce baking time or increase hydration |
| Large irregular holes | High hydration or uneven gluten development | Adjust hydration or improve folding technique |
| Flat, spread-out loaf | Weak flour, overproofed, or poor shaping | Use stronger flour, reduce proofing, improve shaping |
Formula Adjustments for Special Conditions
Altitude Adjustments (3,000+ ft/900+ meters)
- Decrease yeast by 25%
- Increase water by 5-10%
- Increase salt by 0.25-0.5%
- Reduce proofing time by 15-25%
High-Humidity Environments
- Decrease water by 5-10%
- Increase salt slightly (0.1-0.2%)
- Reduce proofing time by 10-15%
Low-Humidity Environments
- Increase water by 5-10%
- Consider covering dough more carefully during fermentation
Salt, Yeast & Temperature Relationships
Salt: Controls fermentation rate and strengthens gluten
- Typical range: 1.8-2.2% of flour weight
- Increase by 0.2% to slow fermentation
- Decrease by 0.2% to speed fermentation
Yeast: Determines fermentation speed
- Double yeast = fermentation time cut roughly in half
- Half yeast = fermentation time roughly doubled
Temperature: Every 17°F (8°C) temperature change doubles/halves fermentation time
- Desired Dough Temperature (DDT) formula: DDT = (4 × Target Temp) − (Room Temp + Flour Temp + Friction Factor)
Sourdough Maintenance Formulas
| Feeding Ratio | Starter | Flour | Water | Maintenance Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:1:1 | 100g | 100g | 100g | Every 12 hours (room temp) |
| 1:2:2 | 50g | 100g | 100g | Every 24 hours (room temp) |
| 1:3:3 | 33g | 100g | 100g | Every 24-36 hours (room temp) |
| 1:5:5 | 20g | 100g | 100g | Refrigerated (feed weekly) |
Baker’s Math Quick Reference
To convert recipe to baker’s percentages:
- Convert all ingredients to same unit (grams preferred)
- Divide each ingredient weight by flour weight
- Multiply by 100 to get percentage
To scale recipe using baker’s percentages:
- Decide total flour weight needed
- Multiply each percentage by flour weight
- Divide by 100 to get ingredient weight
Professional Baking Best Practices
- Temperature control is critical – measure water and final dough temps
- Scale all ingredients by weight, not volume, for consistency
- Autolyse (mixing flour and water, resting 20-60 minutes before adding yeast and salt) improves dough development
- Proper gluten development is best assessed by the windowpane test
- Cold retardation (slow fermentation in refrigerator) improves flavor and makes scheduling flexible
- Steam during baking is essential for proper crust development on artisan breads
- Internal temperature for properly baked bread: 190-210°F (88-99°C)
Resources for Further Learning
Books:
- “Flour Water Salt Yeast” by Ken Forkish
- “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” by Peter Reinhart
- “Tartine Bread” by Chad Robertson
- “Bread Science” by Emily Buehler
Online Resources:
- The Fresh Loaf (thefreshloaf.com) – Baker’s forum
- King Arthur Flour (kingarthurbaking.com) – Recipes and techniques
- Breadtopia (breadtopia.com) – Videos and tutorials
- Perfect Sourdough (perfectsourdough.com) – Sourdough resources
Tools for Calculation:
- Breadcalc.com – Baker’s percentage calculator
- The Bread Scheduler app – Fermentation timing calculator
- FoodGeek Bread Calculator – Recipe scaling tool
This cheatsheet provides the foundation for consistent, successful bread baking through precise formulas and ratios. Happy baking!