BAKER’S MATHEMATICS
In the culinary world, the recipe is used as the guide for cooking. The recipe gives the information on the
ingredients to use, the quantity, and the procedure.
In large scale baking, as in a business, the technical word for recipe is formula. The formula is what
bakers use as their guide in baking breads, cakes, and pastries. This term is used because it is generally
believed that the amount of ingredients and procedure followed in baking should be more precise
compared to cooking. The formula then gives the specific ingredients to be used, its measurement, the
mixing proportion in a container, mixing time, and baking temperature.
The success of a baker’s recipe or formula is highly dependent on the use of correct ingredients,
accurate measurements, and correct procedure
Units of Measure
The basic unit for each type of measurement (metric system) are the following:
 The basic unit of weight is gram.
 The basic unit of liquid volume is liter.
 The basic unit of length is meter.
 The basic unit of temperature is Celsius.
Larger or smaller units are simply calculated by multiplying or dividing by 10, 100, 1000 and so on. The
following are the more commonly used prefixes to express a unit.
kilo- = 1000
deci- = 1/10 or 0.1
centi- = 1/100 or 0.01
milli- = 1/1000 or 0.0001
BAKER’S PERCENTAGES
Percentages do not usually apply to homemaker’s recipes. The amount of ingredients to use is usually
given by volume. Baker’s recipes, on the other hand, include percentages aside from the amount of
ingredients in weight or quantity. Baker’s percentage express the amount of each ingredient against the
percentage of the flour used.
Or simply, the percentage of each ingredient is its total weight divided by the weight of the flour,
multiplied by 100% or
What is Baker’s Percent?
Baker’s percent is a mathematical method widely used in baking to calculate the amounts of macro, minor
and micro ingredients. It’s based on the total weight of flour a formula contains. Instead of dividing each
ingredient’s weight by the total formula weight, bakers divide each ingredient by the weight of flour.
Baker’s percent is useful for quickly assessing if a formula is drier, saltier, sweeter, etc.
Baker’s percent is internationally used to express formulas for bakery products such as pan bread, buns,
rolls, cookies, cakes, crackers, doughnuts, etc.
How does baker’s percent work?
In baker’s percent, the weight of the flour is always 100%, and the total percent of all the other ingredients
is always greater than 100%. This concept is completely different from the True or Conventional Percent,
where the combined ingredients total 100%.
The mathematical equation for obtaining baker’s percent is:
Y: water, yeast, sugar, salt, fat, milk solids, redox agent, emulsifier, etc.
The following table presents a typical example of the baker’s % concept:
Ingredient
Weight (Lb)
Baker’s %
True %
Flour
60.0
100.0
56.818
Water
37.2
62.0
35.227
Yeast
1.8
3.0
1.705
Salt
1.2
2.0
1.136
Sugar
2.4
4.0
2.273
Shortening
1.8
3.0
1.705
Defatted milk solids
1.2
2.0
1.136
Total
105.6
176.0
100.0
The greatest benefit to using baker’s percent is that the baker can change the amount of any ingredient at
any time, without the need to refigure the percents of all other ingredients. This is very useful when
formulating new products, adjusting processing parameters, and customizing old recipes to fit modern
dietary guidelines.
From the baker’s percent equation and table, bakers have the possibility of making any quantity of
product or a desired batch weight. The following steps are needed:
1. Add total baker’s percent.
2. Divide the desired or total batch weight by the total baker’s percent (in decimal form). This gives
the weight of flour.
3. Multiply the baker’s percent of each ingredient (in decimal form) times the weight of flour. This
gives the weight of each ingredient needed to make the desired batch.
Application
Baker’s percentage makes it easy to see at a glance the ingredient ratios and, therefore, the basic
structure and composition of the dough or batter that will be obtained after mixing. 1
By using baker’s percent, a baker can predict crumb structure from the dough water content or hydration.
For example, 80% hydration (8 parts water to 10 parts flour) often leads to an airy and irregular crumb
such as in Italian Ciabatta bread while 60% hydration (6 parts water to 10 parts flour) yields denser and
closed crumb similar to American-style bread. More accurate predictions can be made when hydration
numbers are combined with information on type of flour used.
There are many advantages to using baker’s percent as opposed to other forms of measurement. Baker’s
percent leads to greater consistency in recipes because it is always based on weight (pounds or
kilograms). Advantages of applying the baker’s percent approach include: 2
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Ease and simplicity of scaling up or down formulas to meet higher or lower demands
Consistency of results
Quickness to correct defects in the formula (it is easier to tell if one recipe is drier, sweeter or
saltier than another recipe)
Ability to check if a formula is well-balanced
Precision of measurement and eliminating/fixing scale errors
Common language among bakers when comparing formulas
Consistency in production
Ease of calculating the water absorption or hydration of the flour
Ease in predicting how the final product will look like
Special considerations
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Scaling/metering equipment used in automated production lines can be designed and configured
to work with set points based on baker’s % or true %. The chosen method in this case could be a
function of precise control on the exact water absorption value of flour, as other ingredients (e.g.,
sweetener syrups, molasses, cream yeast, eggs) also contribute with some water to the final
dough.
When multiple flours such as whole wheat, rye, cornmeal, or wheat patent are used in a formula
as in the case of multigrain and high-fiber breads, the total weight of all flour- and grain-type
ingredients is usually assigned to be 100%. All other ingredients in the formula are calculated as
a percentage of the total of these ingredients.3,4