What is Baker's Percentage? - Bread School

What is baker's percentage, and how does it tell the story of the dough's environment? In part one of three, Martin Philip takes a few minutes to break it all down using baguettes as an example.
In part two next week, Martin and his son Arlo will brainstorm a brand new bread to create, and then in part three, they'll make it for the very first time.

[@EricThompson-gs9ce]

that was one of the best explaination/examples I've seen on bread science. thank you. You simplified this extremely well.

[@sperreten]

Martin and Arlo are the best!! Please keep 'em coming. I'm learning so much!

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

We're so glad you enjoyed this video, George! To find the final hydration of the dough, you'd want to divide the weight of the liquids in the recipe by the weight of the flours in the recipe. If a recipe includes something like sourdough starter (which is typically 50% water), eggs, oil, or a liquid sweetener that should also be included in the total weight of liquid in the recipe which might account for the variance in the example you provided. We hope this can help and happy baking! -👩‍🍳Morgan

[@fathersonandskillet]

Understanding the baker's percentage has taken our bread baking to an entirely new level. We built a template of the spreadsheet and have used it to create formulas for all the breads we commonly bake. Need more loaves? Change the input numbers. Want more (or less) hydration? Change that input and start mixing. It's been especially helpful as we experiment with new creations. Thanks!

[@soraiamelo789]

OMG Thank you so much for this class!!! Just started baking breads at home and I learned a lot with you guys!!! Can’t wait for the next videos!! God bless you!!

[@johncmoney8394]

soraia melo Same here. These videos have been great.

[@judydonovan6881]

Thanks this is a keeper. Rockin a new look Arlo!!!! Love it.

[@kimnilsson7501]

Have not even seen all of the video yet, but this was one about the best explantion how to calc I have ever seen. Easy to understand and follow (yes i now the basics of bakers-percentage), People learn this and you can do any bread from it, and change parameter by parameter to master your skills and then your bread. Consistency is a virgin and you will shine, Thanks for this exceptional good video.

[@kimnilsson7501]

Now I have seen it all. Wounderful vid. But why on earht are not all the yeast in the poolish from start? What does the late-add.in yeast do and add to it? (over to the next one, real good work here and professional)

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Thanks, Kim! We're so thrilled to be able to assist bakers whenever we can. As to your question, while the yeast in the poolish will produce some rise, it's also there for flavor, so adding yeast in the main dough is where your bread will get it's direct source of leavening. We hope that helps, and look forward to baking with you more. -👨‍🍳Ethan

[@kimnilsson7501]

​@@KingArthurBakingCompany Thanks for your answer. Ok now I know, but still hard to digest it for me. I know the basics, but will have to push this into may brain (and belive in it). But I also see You are the masters, so I will defenetly try this. Among the best pro-videos I have ever seen. Keep up Your good work. Nice thing is to have your child at site. He's soooo good, my best regards to him, and a nice learning fellow. We can see it and better understand it from that level. Super smart. I'm so glad for your contribution, and the bread seams to be so lovely. but still too hard to digest for me :-)

[@kimnilsson7501]

Oops! That answer was partly realting to another amazing video, baking baugettes. But both where so good.

[@amandanewquist4526]

Thanks Martin and Arlo! I've been looking for a lesson on baker's percentages. I've loved learning from your videos!

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Fabulous, Amanda. We are so happy it was useful. Elisabeth@KAF

[@mkw102394]

Thank You! I see one of the numerous errors of my ways. I always measured the poolish as separate from the total recipe and added it. Think I’ll go listen to Beck very loudly.🙃

[@sramaxhiku]

Thank you very much for the very clear and professional explanations. All three videos ( new bread and recipe ) are very helpful. I was desperately searching on KZbin for a Baker percentage explanation. The best that I found on KZbin. THANK YOU!

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Our pleasure! -👩‍🍳Kat

[@pattyaap7345]

This is an amazing video! I had never seen anything like it but always wondered how the formula worked to make bread. Thank you so very much!!!

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Thanks so much Patty! So glad you enjoyed it. Bakers' Math is pretty fascinating for sure. Robyn@KAF

[@it4719]

Thank you. I have learned about the baker's math here, you have been very helpful making this video.

[@luv2garden132]

I love watching you and your son. We now know I won't be making my own formula anytime soon. You all figure that out, and I'll bake it 😉

[@richardwillis5033]

This class is great! I first learned about baker's math from Peter Reinhart, from several classes I took from him on Craftsy/Bluprint (now defunct). This class is a great explanation and refresher of the wonders of math and bread making. I took your biscuit and tea bread class, too, which was excellent. Great way to spend time with your son, too. Happy Father's Day!

[@joseph_b319]

I got 50 of their classes too. I got to get my computer with cd burner working.

[@yonimartinez8961]

Thank you so much for making this so simple and easy to understand

[@sarahdeschene3152]

I’m looking forward to the next video.

[@flossiefootsteps5753]

One of the better tutorials I've seen. But all of them make it sound way more complicated than it is, IMO

[@miasounirvana385]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us .. loads of prayers from Algeria

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Thank you, Sou! We love sharing the joy of baking! 👍🏼 Happy baking! Jonathan@KAF

[@tomwestbrook]

The best lesson on bread I've had so far. Thank you!

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

It's our pleasure, Tom! Thanks so much for baking with us. -👨‍🍳Ethan

[@totallydomestic433]

This is exactly what t I have been looking for. Thank you. I think I will need to watch this 5 more times to get it to sink in.

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Ha! Us too. We're so glad it's helped. Happy baking! -👨‍🍳Ethan

[@snede2112]

Great explanation. Thank you for sharing.

[@kstewart3901]

This is very helpful. Thank you!

[@rickthebaker9379]

I've been a baker for 50 years and I have never heard of a bakers percentage. We use a recipe and weigh everything. When flour came in 100 pound bags, we used 2 pounds of salt, 3 pounds of fresh yeast, sugar and shortening and 2 pounds of milk powder so you can see that it does work out to percentages since you are using 100 pounds of flour.

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi Rick! For more information on baker's percentages, check out this resource page: www.kingarthurbaking.com/pro/reference/bakers-percentage Kindly, -👩‍🍳Morgan

[@rtcsassolucionesinteligent1986]

Thanks for your amazing video I have a question if I use a sourdough I can change the PF by this? thanks for your answer

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi there! You can use your sourdough in place of the preferment. You might need to adjust hydration, and if your culture is lively, omit or decrease the yeast. Happy baking! Robyn@KAF

[@SupremeNoobWR]

Great content! Thank you 👍🏆

[@mohamedalhashimi566]

Thanks for the explanation. Can do Baker's personages for barioch dough were there is eggs, yogurt and biga

[@johnsousa8752]

Thank you for an informative video. KA Classic White Bread listed on the website calls for the use of a 9 by 5 pan, which the catalog claims should be used for 1.25 lbs or 567 grams loaves. When I transfer the online ingredient list into grams I get 893. Almost double what the catalog recommends for that size pan, what did I miss?

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi there, John! The weight given in the description for the loaf pan is the weight of a baked loaf, which is going to be lighter than the total amount of raw ingredients used to create the dough. A 9" x 5" loaf pan is suitable for recipes that have at least 3 3/4 cups of flour in them - check out our Choosing the right loaf pan blog article (bakewith.us/vcp5n) for more details. We hope this helps and happy baking! Morgan@KAF

[@ProctorsGamble]

Thanks. I use Excel spreadsheet for this to pick number of loaves I project I will sell on a given day.

[@dwightcorrin5945]

I've been baking the Jewish Rye Bread that is on the King Arthur website. Besides pumpernickel flour and all-purpose flour, it also calls for an old bread soaker. Wasn't sure whether that would be an amendment, or part if the total dough percentage.

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Dwight, as best as you can, it should be part of the total dough percentage. Kindly, Jonathan@KA

[@kamho6589]

Thank you very much about the clear explanation of the bread maths.

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

You're so welcome! Thanks for watching, and glad we could be helpful! Becca@KAF

[@applegal3058]

My method is, for each loaf I use 1 cup of water + 1 tsp. dry active yeast, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 tbsp. melted butter. 1 tsp. table salt, and add flour a little at a time kneading and stirring with my hand until I get a good dough that's easy to knead. I knead the dough about 10 minutes, cover and rise 2 hours. Punch down, recover and rise 2 hours. Punch down and shape my loaf, and cover and rise 2 hours before baking at 415F for 35 minutes. Turns out fluffy and crusty every time. I use Canadian All Purpose Flour, which is naturally high gluten.

[@garrykniffen1461]

Where you have the flour, water, salt and yeast first listed, you have them all as a percentages before they’re added together. The proper unit should be “parts” of the total, not percentages, then one would simply divide the particular individual ingredient by the total sum of the four parts to get its percentage of the total, which would then be multiplied by whatever size batch being made. I believe.

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

While that would be one way of doing it, this is the standard across the world of baking. It's unusual, but it's the one all professional bakers use across the globe. 💛 -🍮Kat

[@markandrews1219]

One small detail regarding the yeast volume in your poolish. Write it as 1% NOT point one to represent one percent. For anyone confused, 100 percent = 1 and 50 percent =.5 Hopefully everyone realises now that .1 = 10% NOT 1%. 0.01 = 1%

[@bhuvidya]

Thx so much for all these videos! I have made your classic baguette recipe about 4 times now and it's a winner - the bread is so "creamy" and light and flavoursome. Quick question: at 8:53 should the yeast amount for the poolish, 0.1% of 116g, be more like 0.1gr, not 1gr? Or maybe when the amounts are so small one rounds up to the nearest gram?

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi bhu vidya, there is an error in the math which we discovered after the video was produced. Follow what you see in your own calculations for the amount of dough you are making. Rounding up in a small batch size will work just fine. Kindly, Jonathan@KA

[@bhuvidya]

@@KingArthurBakingCompany thx! I hope that didn't come across as nit-picky - wasn't sure if it was important or not - and again thx to all you King Arthur folks for everything - I live in Melbourne, Australia and to get all this expert advice around baking great bread at home is just amazing - and my family thanks you too! :)

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Not at all, we're always happen when folks are curious and have questions! Kat@KA

[@johncmoney8394]

Thanks guys!

[@SK-ej3qg]

Mathematics is every where if u can see/find it....... Very informative video, thanks

[@thesandman3869]

Hi and thanks for a very interesting video, i was just wondering how i could apply this method to gluten free bakery... flours are different and absorb water in many different ways so i would like to know if you know some tricks for me to use with them. Thanks in advance, bye from Spain

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi Andrea! You are very correct, in that Gluten Free baking demands a very different sort of baking science than wheat baking. But it also offers so much opportunity in creativity and exploration. And we've sincerely enjoyed finding ways not only to translate some of our favorite classic recipes into GF ones, but in creating new ones as well. For your request here, we think you'd benefit most from our Essential Guide to all things Gluten-Free baking. It includes tutorials, descriptions, recipes, and guides, and is an exceptional source for those just now discovering the path of GF baking, and those who have been walking it for awhile now. Including some of the baker's percentage and math found in this video. Check it out here: bakewith.us/98ql3. And thanks so much for reaching out to us. Happy baking in Spain! Ethan@KAF

[@mikesr3011]

Great video. Please help me understand one thing....let's say I would like to bake four 1.0 lb loaves of bread. How do you know how much flour to use per loaf? The finished weight includes all the other ingredients so how do you figure out the flour amount to start with to end up with your 1.0 lb ( or other finished weight) of bread? Sometimes I bake a larger bread, 1.5 or 2.0 lbs. Instead of following a recipe that uses typical American measurements (cups ,ounces, etc.)I would love to figure it out myself using metric measurements but need to know the weight of the main ingredient (flour) in order to begin.

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi there, Mike! A loaf usually loses between 10% to 15% of it's weight during baking. So, you'll want to add that amount to the amount of raw dough you use per loaf. The exact loss is variable based on the kind of dough and the shape of the loaf so you'll have to do a bit of experimenting to get the specifics. We hope this helps and happy baking! Morgan@KAF

[@kenmullin8649]

Here’s the math. 454 g = 1 lb. Therefore, at 15% loss of mass during baking you need to add 68 g to the 454 g. That gives you 522 g total weight. If you use the percentages given in the video that would be 522/1.725 = 303 g flour for 70% hydration per loaf. Cheers

[@mythirdchannel]

now here's some math I'd actually be interested in keeping up with! great explanation :D

[@OK-ur2wy]

Hi Martin and thanks very much for the explanation as you made it easier for a non-native English speaker like myself to completely understand the baker's maths. Would you be so kind as to share baker's maths re Pizza Neapolitan dough please, the internet search I did was pretty confusing as each website or baker has got a different "total dough percentage": 1.58 - 1.60, water from 55 - 65%, salt 2 - 3 %, and yeast 0.5 - 2%. Thanks once again.

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi there! We're so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. We have a recipe for Neapolitan-Style Pizza Crust on our website, it has a 73% hydration. You can find the recipe here: bakewith.us/jh6n6 We hope this helps! Kindly, Morgan@KA

[@lsalars8421]

Very helpful and educating

[@leeedwards3783]

Hi, thanks for the video. I have been enjoying your videos since the beginning of March due to the Virus. I have a question that is not related to bakers percentage but to your no knead bread. Is it possible after the mix has been in the fridge for a couple of days to shape it into a ball and then put it in the fridge overnight again and then cook it straight away in the morning? I hope that makes sense. regards Lee

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Lee, once you shape the dough you can place it in the fridge overnight. Make sure it's wrapped well. You can bake it straight from the fridge the next day. Jonathan@KA

[@leeedwards3783]

Ah wow, thank you so much for the quick reply and advice. Just to be 100% sure, after shaping the dough, I do not need to let it come to room temp and then put it in the fridge to cook straight away in the morning? I can take it out of the fridge, shape it, wrap it and put it straight in the fridge overnight and then bake 1st thing in the morning once the oven is HOT! Thank you

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

That's right! No need to let the dough come to room temperature before putting it back in the fridge. Happy baking! Morgan@KA

[@leeedwards3783]

Amazing. Wow, thank you so much and thanks for all the great videos you have online.

[@altonbrantley]

I used to get a "Black Forest bread" from a bakery in Pennsylvania, chocolate with dark cherries in it. Would I substitute 1/2 cup cocoa powder for 1/2 flour, or, like sugar, would the cocoa and liquid be considered water?

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi there, Alton! We'd recommend starting out by checking out the Chocolate-Cherry Brioche recipe on our site (bakewith.us/kglmn). Because chocolate burns easily, Martin recommends using enriched,brioche-style breads for adding chocolate too as they bake at lower temperatures. If you'd like to experiment with adding cocoa to the dough itself, you can add 5% cocoa as a percentage of flour weight. We hope this helps and happy baking! Morgan@KAF

[@Javaman92]

The best explanation, thanks!

[@ZenHoki]

I love this video and the knowledge I have gained from it. I love the formulas from clout, water, salt, and yeast. Please tell me if I’m wrong but it seems as if you are working backwards. You decide the size of your loaf, say 600 grams, and you work back from there to determine the amount of flour, liquid, salt, and yeast. Being a beginner baker at 72 yrs young using a formula, is this the proper approach? I bake weekly Pain de Mie. I wanted to add KA Harvest Grains so I called KA help line and the nice lady said to not adjust the bread ratio and just add the Grains. I was confused to I researched on KZbin and found your video. After listening to your instructional video I see where she is correct. But I still feel I must add more liquid. 750 g flour 500 ml liquid (milk and water) 33 g sugar 15 g dry yeast 24 g salt 75 g soft butter 1cup harvest grained.

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

You are right on about working backwards! The Harvest Grains Blend won't absorb much liquid if you are adding them dry, but feel free to adjust your dough with additional liquid if needed. Happy baking! Robyn@KA

[@ZenHoki]

I broke my kitchen aide standing mixer when I added the Harvest grain from KAF. Stripped the gear. Now I am without a mixer.

[@Lizi46]

If I work with sourdough I should substract the flour and water weight of it from the original formula?

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

A great question! Yes, when using a sourdough starter in place of commercial yeast, you'll need to subtract flour and water equal to the weight of the culture you add. Happy baking! Robyn@KAF

[@paulspevacek]

I'm new to baking. Do I need to adjust for the humidity? I notice sometimes I need to add more water than the recipe calls for. Not sure I would notice in a higher hydration ratio bread, such as a baguette? Also, sometimes I notice that my dough is especially sticky, all things being basically equal, is that due to the final hydration ratio or something else such as humidity of my kitchen, or length of my ferment, freshness of yeast, etc....

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi there! Humidity sure can affect your dough, check out our Winter to summer yeast baking blog article (bakewith.us/xurg4) for some more details on how to account for humidity by adjusting the hydration of your dough. Happy baking! Morgan@KAF

[@paulspevacek]

@@KingArthurBakingCompany Thanks for the quick response, but the link is broken.

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

We're sorry to hear that you were having trouble accessing the link! Does this one seem to work any better? bakewith.us/l3u5r Kindly, Morgan@KAF

[@cglenn0757]

This was a great explanation. Has anyone put this whiteboard calculation into a spreadsheet?

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

We're glad you enjoyed this video, Clay! We don't have a spreadsheet with this information, but we do have a reference page: bakewith.us/n3ywm We hope this helps and happy baking! Morgan@KA

[@ishanaggarwal4818]

Can you clarify one thing? How does .1% of 116 forms 1 gram of yeast? Shouldn't it be .116 grams?(roughly a tenth of a gram) Or am I missing something? Update- Never mind, I saw the last part of the video about rounding off small amounts. Thanks

[@gulshankwatra2841]

Excellent ratios and maths. How do you measure 1 gram of yeast ?

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Gulshan, To measure out a gram of yeast, you would need a scale that measures tenths of a gram. They are available online and they actually are pretty inexpensive. Once you have one, you'll use it more than you think. Until then, one gram of instant yeast is approximately 1/3 teaspoon. Happy baking! Jonathan@KAF

[@gulshankwatra2841]

@@KingArthurBakingCompany Thank you so much. It is very helpful.

[@sarahdeschene3152]

Did I misunderstand with the polish, wouldn’t 0.1% be 0.001*116grams flour or 0.116 grams yeast. This seems more in line with the %yeast in the KAF Classic Baguette recipe which uses I thing 1/16 tsp for 3 loaves. Not sure if the loaf sizes are the same but it just sounded like a lot of yeast for the starter.

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi Sarah, you're totally right about that! Nice catch! Martin accidentally did 1% of flour weight instead of the 0.1% he intended. I'm sure if he had gone to actually mix this dough though, he would have caught the mistake. 1g of yeast is roughly 1/3 teaspoon of yeast, and in this little batch, all you really need in the poolish is a pinch. In the baking school, we teach about the size of the pinch of yeast varying somewhat based on the weather, and how soon you need to mix. Same thing in the production bakery, where in the summer we may use half the yeast in the poolish as we do in the winter. One of the most rewarding (or in some cases maddening) things about baking, is adjusting to these minor changes in our environment each time we bake. All that said, A+ math skills, and happy baking! Becca@KAF

[@Bhamgurl1]

I understand the percentages part which is not too difficult but what I find is that if I want to make a loaf of bread how do I know what hydration do I need for the particular bread that I'm making. If I'm using bread flour for a regular loaf of bread what's his percentage for water hydration. And that's where I get lost

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi Traci, if you're inventing your own recipe, we'd recommend taking an existing bread recipe that has similar results to what you're looking for, (and one that uses bread flour would make it easier) finding the hydration ratio of that, and then using that hydration ratio in your own recipe. Annabelle@KAF

[@NeBaDa1005]

How do you consider other ingredients such as egg? Milk & butter are considered in the weight of the water?

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi Nenita, when looking at a bread formula that uses eggs, milk and/or butter, those ingredients will have their own percentage in the formula. They are not added to the water percentage. Happy baking! Jonathan@KAF

[@joseph_b319]

Like the new do Arlo!!!!

[@gloriajeanshaby1871]

Can you please tell me how long the polish should ferment for before starting the rest of the bagutttes recipe?

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi Gloria! Typically a poolish rests for about 14 hours. Happy baking! Morgan@KA

[@sonub5401]

You said for the preferment for a baguette, the yeast would be .1% of the flour weight. Does that mean the 580g and do you normally round up or down? Also what determines whether you should use a preferment and what the percentage of it should be? I would also love to know how you would incorporate a sour dough starter into a recipe and whether it needs to be fed or not when using it and what would determine if it should be fed or not. Sorry about all the questions. I can send an email if it would be easier. A video would be so helpful as well. Thanks for these videos though. I can’t believe I haven’t seen these sooner. I’ve been baking KAF recipes for quite a few years now. I love the French Style Country Bread. Loved your shaping videos as well.

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi there! The amount of yeast you'd want to use for this example formula would be 58 grams, to reach this number you'd want to add the amount of flour in the final dough and the poolish together and then multiply that by 0.1%. When it comes to rounding if it's less than 0.5 you'd round down and if it's more you'd round up. For example, if you had 54.3 grams, you'd round down to 54 grams and if you had 54.7 grams, you'd round up to 55 grams. The reasons for using a preferment can vary, they have an impact on both the flavor and texture of the final loaf as well as on the overall process. To learn more about them, check out our blog article, Baking with preferments: bakewith.us/2ntsfb Usually when adding a preferment or sourdough starter to a recipe, you want about 30% of the total flour weight to be a part of the preferment. Typically when converting a recipe from commercial yeast to naturally leavened, you want to make a sourdough build with about 30% of the overall recipe flour. To do this, multiply your total flour weight by 0.30 and add an equal amount of water and then add 10-20% (of the 30% flour weight) of ripe sourdough culture. Allow the mixture to ferment 12 -16 hours at room temperature. When you perform your final mix, remember to remove the flour and water weights you used for your sourdough build and to omit the yeast. Because sourdough ferments at a slower rate, you will need to adjust your fermentation times accordingly. For details on adding discard starter to a recipe, check out our blog article, Adding sourdough to a recipe: bakewith.us/mrkwyn We hope this can help and happy baking! -👩‍🍳Morgan

[@sonub5401]

@@KingArthurBakingCompany thanks for that and the links. I will be definitely looking at those. You had said the yeast for this example formula would be 58 grams. But he said it’s 1 gram. I’m so confused. You said to add the flour from the final dough and the poolish, that would bring it to a total of 580, and .1% of that would be .58. So I’m lost, is there suppose to be a decimal? Sorry again for the questions. Just trying to wrap my head around everything. Thanks again for everything. I started my sour Dough Starter 2 days ago. Started with 1:1:1 of KAF BF 70%, Dark Rye 30%. It doubled within 24hrs. 2nd day I fed it with the 30% rye mix at a 1:1:1. Looking good so far and can’t wait for it to be ready to use.

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

I'm so sorry about that, I missed the decimal point in my calculation! The yeast is 0.1% of the total flour weight, so to reach the amount of yeast needed for the preferment, you'd multiply 116 grams by 0.01, this gets you 1.16 grams which is rounded down to 1 gram. The total amount of yeast in the overall recipe is 3 grams (580 X 0.005 = 2.91, round up to 3 grams). I'm sorry for causing extra confusion and hope this helps to clarify! Enjoy your sourdough journey! Kindly, -👩‍🍳Morgan

[@sonub5401]

@@KingArthurBakingCompany yes it does, I just wanted to make sure I was doing it correct, but then it wasn’t adding up. Thank you thank you. Really appreciate all your help and the fast reply. Hope you have a wonderful rest of your day.

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

You as well! -👩‍🍳Morgan

[@jkalarkhall]

Sorry, I have another question! If you are adding oatmeal/rolled oats to a recipe, would I be right you would count that as 'flour', well in as much as it counts towards the 100% figure??

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Jane, actually, no. The oats would count as their own item. For example, if you were making oatmeal bread, the oats may be about 16% plus or minus of the flour weight. Only flour is included in the flour line. If you had two types of flour, each would have its own line but the total would be 100%. For example, if we used 75% all-purpose flour and 25% whole wheat, together, they would equal 100%. Jonathan@KA

[@jkalarkhall]

@@KingArthurBakingCompany Ok, thank you for such a fantastically fast response, especially on this holiday weekend. Jane

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Our pleasure, Jane! 👍🏼 Jonathan@KA

[@christopherhunton8836]

Does this formula differ when using fresh or dried yeast?

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi Christopher, If you want to use fresh yeast, you have to convert the amount of yeast the recipe calls for. Because fresh yeast has moisture in it, you should use 3 times the fresh yeast in weight for the same rising ability of instant yeast. Here are two links to more information on fresh yeast: bakewith.us/bqjzx. bakewith.us/chwlf Happy baking! Jonathan@KAF

[@christopherhunton8836]

@@KingArthurBakingCompany Thank you.

[@maroonscarlet]

does the percentage change except flour depending on what bread you're making?

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

The percentage is indeed different for different types of bread! This is how recipes are written, a topic that is covered in a future Bread School video. Happy baking! Kat@KAF

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Yep! Salt percentage usually stays pretty close to 1.5-2% of flour weight. Other things like hydration can vary quite a bit depending on what type of bread you want to make. Becca@KAF

[@mrodthree]

Question: Does bakers math apply to bread only or can i use that on pastry recipes? pls advise

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Yes, mrodthree, you can use bakers math to express the ratio and amounts of ingredients for pastry recipes. Kindly, -👨‍🍳Jonathan

[@1micio1]

May I ask, how do u decide how much preferment to make? Like here, u used 20%. Is it the same for all kids of bread? What's the effect of too much poolish n too little of it?

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi there, Lica! Most often a preferment is about 20% to 30% of the dough. You can learn more about preferments in Martin's Baking with preferments blog article: bakewith.us/9533z Happy baking! Morgan@KAF

[@1micio1]

@@KingArthurBakingCompany thanks... 🤗

[@Faisal39700]

Plz in the poolish step Can we use sourdough starter instead of commercially yeast ? If yes What is the weigh of sourdough starter ?

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

That depends on the ratio of flour and water in both the poolish in the recipe you're following and in your starter. If they're the same, go for it! Otherwise, you'll need to adjust the amount of one or the other ingredient in your dough using baker's percentages, as outlined in this video. Kat@KA

[@kimandrews9734]

Is this formula only for baguettes or for any kind of bread?

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi Kim, this formula was created to be used for baguettes but you could make other shapes with it such as rolls or a boule. Happy baking! Jonathan@KAF

[@sharonolsen6579]

Different types of bread have different ratios.

[@jkk1253]

hi i still do not get!!!! can you tell me if i make bread and i need 400g of flour for 1 loaves how much flour would i need for 5 loaves !!!!! eg yeast salt so on many thanks

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi there, if your recipe calls for 400g of flour for one loaf, and you'd like to make 5 loaves, that would be 2,000g of flour. The other ingredients will be based off of your flour weight and the percentages in your recipe. It takes some practice, so try following along with the video, then trying it on your own, and seeing how closely your answers match up. Becca@KAF

[@jkk1253]

@@KingArthurBakingCompany great thank you

[@noveliatrynardo3913]

What about the recipe that requires water and egg? How do you count it?

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi there, Novelia! The egg in a recipe would count towards the hydration of the dough. Kindly, Morgan@KAF

[@KJ-im4uo]

Thank you very much for sharing the math. Would the percentage be the same for sandwich bread? Could you please share the percentage used for sourdough bread as well.

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi KJ, the percentages are different for each type of bread recipe, though the salt and yeast percentages generally stay within a range. The water, flour and other ingredients change. A good way to see this is to find a bread recipe you like and then calculate using bakers math to see all the ingredients' percentages. Happy baking! Jonathan@KAF

[@JJ-cd3zn]

Waaaiitt where to get the percentage doe? Does it depends on me? Or yeast should be .5%...

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi Jacinta! The percentages are pretty standard. Some can vary, like the percentage of water for example, but most often the yeast percentage doesn't change much. You can learn more about baker's percentages here: bakewith.us/vzubm We hope this helps and happy baking! Morgan@KA

[@rajikuriakose9054]

Very informative...What is the fat percentage

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi Raji, In these examples, fat is not a separate category. Fat would be included in one of the ingredients, for example if one was using butter, the fat would be included in the weight for butter. Happy baking! Jonathan@KAF

[@DaVo98761]

@@KingArthurBakingCompany how does one account for the water in the butter or other additions like eggs in the total hydration? And how would pure fat like oil affect the dough texture? Do I just treat it like an extra ingredient? I watched the video on planning a recipe but there was no mention of how percentages work in enriched doughs. Thanks so much for these videos!

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Any time you add enriching ingredients, you add tenderness, and in some cases browning. Generally you treat it as it's own ingredient, but take it into consideration when you are deciding your overall hydration percentage. Another helpful way to look at it is to convert some recipes you already enjoy, which helps flex your math muscles, and give you some ideas of how those percentages turn up in different types of breads. Hope that helps! Becca@KAF

[@xiaoyunshen9550]

Sorry I just wonder it should be 0.1% years of the poolish or 1%? I’m a little bit confused... thank you

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

You've got it right! A couple other folks caught that mistake as well. Good eye! Becca@KAF

[@andrewwalker2888]

Thanks for the great video! Audio is terribly low though.

[@jacobtb1]

amazing channel

[@ypcomchic]

So how many grams is 3% yeast when making the recipe??

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

To calculated what 3% yeast would be in grams, just multiply the total grams of flour by .03. Happy baking! Kat@KAF

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

If you are making 2 loaves, since the sourdough is doing most of the work, the yeast is only set at 0.3%, and is only one gram. If you wanted to use 3% in the same size batch, it would be 14 grams. Happy baking! Becca@KAF

[@giselsilva]

How or why do you go from 172.5 to 1.725?

[@OhItsJustMe2]

Just move your decimal 2 places over.

[@antoniodean9171]

So its either you divide 172.5 by 100 in the beginning to get it based on 100 percent or divide the 1000kg by 172.5 = 5.797. This would be the equivalent of 1 percent based on the total bakers percent. In order to get 100percent(flour total) you will multiply it by 100 and get 580. His way is just shorter. You could even use the 5.797 and multiply it by the other percentages to get you other weights. For exampl multiply 5.797 by 70 and youll get 406( water weight)

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

That is converting it from a ratio to a whole number. So instead of 172.5%, it becomes 1.725. Does that make help clear it up? Becca@KAF

[@giselsilva]

@@KingArthurBakingCompany get it now, thanks!

[@joannmancuso5727]

How did you go from 172.5 to 1.725?

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

HI JoAnn, That's a very good question. Percentages can be tricky. Martin first added up the percentages of the flour, water, salt and yeast. That's 172.5%. Because that number is a percentage, you have to divide that number by 100 to get a whole number. To get a whole number, you move the decimal point two places to the left or multiply 172.5 x 100 = 1.725. I hope that clears things up for you. Happy baking! Jonathan@KAF

[@joannmancuso5727]

King Arthur Flour yes I didn’t realize that was a percentage thank you I understand it now😊

[@kenmullin8649]

Hi KAF, you mean divide by 100. 172.5/100 = 1.725

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi Ken, yes! Thank you for pointing this out. Happy baking! Kris@KAF

[@kenmullin8649]

@@KingArthurBakingCompany Love the videos! Thanks so much for educating us.

[@LuisRomero-fh9bu]

For the poolish, It says .1% so it is not 1g but .12g. If it is 1%, then it is right, its 1.12 or rounded to 1g.

[@ccshan]

But 0.1% of 116g is 0.116g, not 1g.

[@jkalarkhall]

Why is it 1000g/1.725 instead of 172.5. I understand your calculation will be correct, but what is the explanation of going from 172.5 to 1.725??

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Jane, 172.5 is the total weight in baker's percentage. You needed to convert that number into a whole number. To do that, you need to move the decimal point two places to the left. Once you do that, you have a whole number and can then use that to compute the amount of flour. It sounds complicated but once you do it a couple of times it will make sense. Kindly, Jonathan@KA

[@AceHardy]

✍️

[@jandipeach]

I'm a KAF customer and really appreciate the effort to make this, but it makes no sense to me at all. I have a degree from one of the top 5 engineering schools in the world, so it's not for lack of math background. May I suggest you start with a simpler introduction and offer context? Also, why not just put a calculator on the KAF website into which we can enter the type of bread we want to make and quantity, and you do the calculations and give us an ingredient list.

[@sashineb.2114]

It's beyond me, too. That's why I use recipes with cups and liquid measures.

[@philipwebb960]

jandipeach So you're an engineer? Do you like driving the train? Seriously, though, I bet if you wrote to your engineering school and told them that they didn't teach you the math skills to figure out the baker's percentages, they would refund your tuition.

[@re-de]

It’s a simple ratio comparison. Start with the flour 100/172= x/1000 and solve for x. The remaining are all percentages of what u calculated the flour to be.

[@criswilson1140]

It's not that hard, you just don't have all of the information that you need. A key number to remember is that 500 g of flour will make a loaf that will fill a 9"x4" bread tin once the dough has risen. 500g of flour will also make about an 8" round loaf or a 12" long by 3" wide loaf if you are baking on a stone.

[@jandipeach]

@@criswilson1140 thank you!

[@fatimanaqvi2976]

very confusing..thanks for sharing though..

[@MrKidPurple]

I hated this in school 0.0 yeaaa I still hate it hahaha Love baking tho

[@luv2garden132]

I didn't understand a word he said. 😂

[@peaceokoye9439]

Hi this is a great explanation, however there are some miscalculations in the explanation, maybe you should do another video to better explain/illustrate the grams. Thanks

[@johnherm5933]

I do not need 4 baguettes I just want 1 bread. So how much flour do I need!!!!!

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi there, John! If you'd like to adjust a recipe to make one loaf, you'll need to do the baker's math as shown here to adjust your recipe to the scale you're looking for. Kindly, Morgan@KA

[@stevenfox7597]

How did you know that each baguette weighs 250 grams? Do you have a bakers percentage for a bread? Thanks

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi Steven, 250 grams is a good weight for baguettes, though there is a range. Some are larger, some are smaller. It all depends on what the baker wants to do. Same for a boule, a bâtard or rolls. The recipe you use will tell you the weight to use for the desired shape. Happy baking! Jonathan@KAF

[@stevenfox7597]

King Arthur Flour Thanks so much! Can you estimate the amount of flour to use for a 3.5 quart Romertopf clay baking vessel in the shape of a batard?

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

HI there Steven! Your baking vessel should hold 420 to 480 grams of flour comfortably! Robyn@KAF

[@stevenfox7597]

King Arthur Flour God Bless You!

[@gloriajeanshaby1871]

I ment poolish!

[@martharice6138]

I understand the flour is 100% but don't understand how you know what the percentages are for the water, salt, and yeast.

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi Martha, you take the other ingredients and then calculate their weight as a percentage of the flour weight. To do this, divide the weight of each ingredient by the weight of the flour and then multiply the resulting decimal number by 100 to get the percentage. It sounds complicated but once you do it a couple of times it will make sense. Good luck! Jonathan@KAF

[@criswilson1140]

I think she was asking, How do you know to use 70% water, 2% salt, and 0.5% yeast? My answer is that those percentages are the recipe for the baguette - percent weight instead of cups or teaspoons. Maybe King Arthur can explain it better.

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Another resource you might find helpful is our Baker's Percentage reference from our professional resources page: bakewith.us/7then We hope this helps! Kindly, Morgan@KAF

[@kittypixiepal]

Cris Wilson This has also been my question and I can’t ever find a specific answer. Are these percentages predetermined? How do we know that it requires 70% of water and so forth?

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi Chris, The weight in grams comes from a known recipe. Then those numbers are converted to a percentage as compared to the flour weight. For example, the recipe that Martin is using lists 116 grams water for the poolish and 289 grams water from the final dough. 116 + 289 = 405 total grams of water in the entire recipe. The flour in the recipe is 116 grams from the poolish and 464 grams from the final dough. 116 + 464 = 580 total grams of flour in the recipe. To find the percent of water (the hydration) in the recipe, divide the total amount of water, 404 by the total amount of flour 580. 405/580=0.698. To get the percentage of water in the recipe, round off 0.698 to 0.70 and then multiply by 100 =70% water in the recipe. The important thing to remember is that the weights are from an existing recipe and that the percentages are all in relation to the total flour weight. I hope this helps answer your question. Kindly, -👨‍🍳Jonathan

[@mildadcosta6029]

Pls dont use yeast sugarand use wheat oats etc

[@dickb2128]

2% of 580 = 116......not 12.

[@odalesaylor]

You don't need the percentages. Ratios are all you need.

[@joseph_b319]

Vampire hiss!!!

[@raonidiasdeoliveira5648]

I don't get it... 0,1% of 116g of flour is not 1g

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

You're right, that was a typo! It should have said 1%. Kat@KA

[@russellmurphy1]

It is confusing to talk about percentages because for any preparation that is made the sum of all the parts adds up to 100%. As you’re talking about parts then you should leave off the % because, from a mathematical point of view, it doesn’t make sense.

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

Hi, Russel! We understand that this is the convention in mathematics, but it's different in the baking community. You can learn more about Baker's Percentages here: bakewith.us/bakers-percentage. Happy baking! Kat@KAF

[@russellmurphy1]

King Arthur Flour I qualified as a pharmacist nearly forty years ago. I worked in retail and in those days it was quite common for us to make up elixirs, mixture, creams and ointments. Even though we’re don’t do that in retail now, it is still done in hospitals and manufacturing units so the method of calculating the formulae is still taught and used. Even though the principles used are the same, it’s still wrong to refer to the proportions as percentage as these will always add up to 100. My point is that you can still calculate the proportions of each ingredient in a recipe with reference to one of them (you base it on the amount of flour, we work it out based on the final total of the prepared medication). I still maintain it’s wrong to call it a percentage when it clearly isn’t.

[@KingArthurBakingCompany]

That's fair! It is, however, the standard convention in bakeries all around the world, and to use another convention just for our formulas would confuse the matter significantly. Kat@KAF

[@russellmurphy1]

King Arthur Flour I still think your method flies in the face of the standard way ratios is taught in school. Especially the incorrect use of percentages. It would be better if the total weight of the recipe is calculated (100%) and then each ingredient is expressed as a part of the total. I get that it works but it’s a topsy -turvey way of expressing it and potentially confusing.

[@shermanhofacker4428]

Assine, just stupid, take something simple and complicate it.