What is this?
Baker's percentages express each ingredient as a percentage of total flour weight. Flour = 100%; water = hydration%; salt and levain are percent of flour. This makes recipes scalable and comparable across bakers [1].
Why important: Using baker's percentages removes ambiguity in recipes, lets you scale reliably, and clarifies how starter (levain) contributes both flour and water to the total formula — which is essential for accurate hydration and fermentation control [1][2].
Calculator
Adds water contributed by starter based on starter hydration
What you should measure into the dough
Total weight of starter (contains flour + water)
Approximate — rounding and retention vary
🛒 Recommended Products
We recommend the following tools for this recipe:
Digital Kitchen Scale
Essential for accurate measurements and baker's percentages
Banneton Proofing Basket
Helps shape dough and maintain structure during final proof
Dough Scraper/Bench Knife
Useful for folding, dividing and transferring sticky dough
Dutch Oven or Cast Iron Pot
Provides steam and consistent heat for good oven spring
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Recommendations by Flour Type
| Flour | Min % | Standard % | Max % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use a scale | None% | None% | None% |
| Account for starter | None% | None% | None% |
Hydration Ranges
100% starter contributes equal parts flour and water; 50% starter is drier (2 parts flour : 1 part water). Always convert starter composition when calculating total hydration [2].
Tips
💡 Weigh everything
Weigh all ingredients on a kitchen scale and enter weights. Volumes lie; baker's math needs mass for consistency [1].
💡 First mention links for tools
Handle sticky dough with a dough scraper, shape in a banneton proofing basket, and bake in a Dutch oven or cast iron pot for best results.
💡 Starter water counts
Don't forget the water in your starter — the calculator adds starter water to total hydration automatically when you provide starter hydration [%]. This is crucial to match intended dough consistency [2].
💡 Cross-check with hydration calculator
After computing percentages, verify final hydration with the Hydration Rechner to preview dough feel and handling.
💡 Round sensibly
Round weights to the nearest gram for practicality; small rounding doesn't materially affect results but keep precision for scaling large batches [1].