Dough Ratio Calculator – Baker's Percentage for Bread

What is baker's percentage and how does the dough ratio calculator work?

Baker's percentage expresses every ingredient as a percentage of the total flour weight. Flour is always 100%. If hydration is 65%, water equals 65% of the flour weight. This method makes recipes scalable and consistent. Enter your flour amount, desired hydration, salt percentage, and yeast percentage — the calculator instantly gives you the exact weights of each ingredient in grams. It's the same system professional bakers use for perfect bread every time.

How to use the Dough Ratio Calculator

Enter your flour weight in grams, then set the hydration percentage (60–75% is typical for bread), salt percentage (usually around 2%), and yeast percentage (0.5–1% for dry yeast). Click "Calculate" to see the breakdown: water, salt, and yeast amounts. Adjust any value and recalculate until the recipe fits your needs.

Example calculation

For 500g flour, 65% hydration, 2% salt, and 1% yeast: Water = 325g, Salt = 10g, Yeast = 5g. Total dough weight = 840g. This classic ratio works perfectly for a basic white bread loaf with a crisp crust and soft crumb.

Frequently Asked Questions

What hydration should I use for different types of bread?

Lower hydration (55–60%) gives a denser crumb — good for bagels and sandwich bread. Medium hydration (65–70%) produces classic artisan loaves. High hydration (75–85%) creates open, airy crumb for ciabatta and focaccia.

Can I use this calculator for pizza dough?

Absolutely. Pizza dough typically uses 60–65% hydration with 2% salt and 0.5–1% yeast. The same baker's percentage principles apply for any flour-based dough.