Measurements

What Are My Baker’s Percentages?

Enter flour and ingredient weights to see baker’s percentages, total dough weight, and hydration at a glance.

70.0% hydration · 863 g dough

In baker’s math, flour is always 100% and every other ingredient is expressed as a percentage of flour weight.

  • Water 70.0% · salt 2.0% · yeast 0.50% · other 0.0%.
  • Total formula: 172.5% of flour weight.

Methodology

How we calculate this

Methodology reviewed September 2026

Flour is the 100% reference. Every other ingredient is divided by flour weight.

The math

  • Ingredient percentage = ingredient weight ÷ flour weight × 100
  • Total dough = sum of all ingredient weights
  • Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100

Worked example

350 g water divided by 500 g flour equals 70% hydration.

Frequently asked questions

Helpful answers

What does 70% hydration mean?

It means the water weighs 70% as much as the flour. A dough with 500 grams of flour at 70% hydration contains 350 grams of water.

Why is flour always 100% in baker's math?

Flour is the reference ingredient. Expressing every other ingredient relative to flour makes formulas easy to compare and scale.

Does starter count toward flour and water?

For precise sourdough formulas, split the starter into its flour and water contributions. A 100% hydration starter contains equal weights of flour and water.

A practical starting point

Use the result as a planning estimate, then trust the ingredients, your thermometer, and the food in front of you. This tool is designed to make the first calculation easier—not to replace good kitchen judgment.

Embed this tool

Add this utility to a cooking blog or resource page.

If you found this calculator useful, you’re welcome to cite or link to the What Are My Baker’s Percentages? in your own words.

<div class="topshelf-tool">
  <iframe src="https://www.topshelf.recipes/tools/bakers-percentage-calculator?embed=1" title="What Are My Baker’s Percentages?" loading="lazy" style="width:100%;min-height:420px;border:0"></iframe>
  <p><a href="https://www.topshelf.recipes/tools/bakers-percentage-calculator?utm_source=embedded_tool" target="_top" rel="nofollow">Use the What Are My Baker’s Percentages? on TopShelf Recipes</a></p>
</div>