Percentage Of Ingredients

Photo: flickr user leoboiko

Preparation

Many trained bakers use an entirely different system to talk about their ingredients called baker's percentage. Bakers, of course, weigh all ingredients, so this system can really only be used with ingredients expressed by weight. With it, you can convert any recipe easily into any desired yield, and compare recipes quickly on an apples-to-apples basis. It is also the best tool to formulate bread recipes.

It works by expressing all ingredients as a ratio of the total flour weight. Thus, if a recipe uses 1000 g flour, 700 g water, 20 g yeast and 20 g salt, the baker's percentages would be 100%% flour, 70%% water, 2%% yeast, and 2%% salt.

If several different flours are used, their total should add up to 100%%. Thus, if a recipe used 1.6 oz whole-rye flour, 6.4 oz whole-wheat flour and 8 oz white flour, the baker's percentage would read 10%% whole-rye flour, 40%% whole-wheat flour, and 50%% white flour.

For example, if the total flour weighs 16 ounces: 1.6 / 16 = 0.1 = 10%%;6.4 / 16 = 0.4 = 40%%;8 / 16 = 0.5 = 50%%.

Note: Maggie's new book should be coming out next fall, and is currently titled Artisan Baking Across America. Artisan Publishing is the publisher. This book, by the way, is not at all technical, but much more of a cook book and coffee-table travelogue ... Reggie]