What are baker's percentages?

Baker's percentages express each ingredient as a percentage of the total flour weight. Flour is always 100%. If a recipe uses 500g flour and 300g water, the water is 60%. This makes it easy to scale recipes and compare different formulas.

Why is flour always 100%?

Flour is the foundation ingredient in most baking. By setting it as the reference (100%), all other quantities relate directly to the flour, making it intuitive to adjust and scale. The total of all percentages will exceed 100% — that's normal and expected.

How do I use baker's percentages to scale a recipe?

Decide how much flour you want to use, then multiply by each baker's percentage (divided by 100) to get the weight of each ingredient. For example, with 400g flour and 60% water: 400 × 0.6 = 240g water.

Are baker's percentages used for cakes as well as bread?

Yes, though they're most commonly associated with bread baking. For cakes and pastry, baker's percentages are equally useful for comparing recipes, troubleshooting, and scaling. A Victoria sponge is roughly 100% flour, 100% butter, 100% sugar, 100% eggs.

Can I use baker's percentages with gluten-free flour?

Yes, baker's percentages work with any flour type. Simply treat your primary gluten-free flour (or flour blend) as the 100% base and calculate all other ingredients relative to it. Be aware that gluten-free flours may absorb water differently, so you may need to adjust hydration after mixing.

BakeCalcs

Bakers Percentage Calculator

Convert a recipe to and from baker's percentages based on flour weight.

ModeChoose how to enter your measurements

Flour

Total weight of flour in the recipe

Water / Liquid

Sugar

Weight of sugar in the recipe

Fat (Butter/Oil)

Eggs

Weigh eggs without shells

How We Calculate This

Baker's percentages are the standard way professional bakers express recipes. Every ingredient is shown as a percentage of the flour weight, with flour always being 100%.

The Formula

To percentages: Ingredient % = (ingredient weight ÷ flour weight) × 100
To weights: Ingredient weight = flour weight × (ingredient % ÷ 100)

Common Ranges

Bread hydration: 60-80%
Cake sugar: 80-120%
Cake fat: 40-100%
Salt (bread): 1.8-2.2%

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: February 2026

All calculations are based on standard ratios and conversions. Results may vary with specific ingredients, equipment, and conditions.