Skip to content

Baking Ratio Calculator

Calculate ingredient weights using baker's percentages. Get precise ratios for bread, cake, cookies, pie crust, and more.

Basic bread ratio (60% hydration)
840g Total
Bread

Ingredients by Weight

Flour
500g
100%
Liquid
300g
60%
Fat/Butter
10g
2%
Sugar
10g
2%
Leavening
10g
2%
Salt
10g
2%

Baker's Percentages

In baker's math, all ingredients are expressed as a percentage of flour weight (flour = 100%).

Hydration: Water weight ÷ Flour weight × 100

Salt: Typically 1.8-2.2% of flour

Yeast (instant): 0.5-1% of flour for long rise, 1-2% for quick rise

Sugar: Sweet breads: 10-25% of flour

Fat: Enriched breads: 5-15% of flour

Baking Ratios Explained

Master bakers use ratios instead of recipes. Once you know the ratio, you can scale to any quantity.

Classic Ratios

  • Bread: 5 parts flour : 3 parts water (60% hydration)
  • Pie Crust: 3 parts flour : 2 parts fat : 1 part water
  • Pound Cake: 1:1:1:1 (flour:butter:sugar:eggs)
  • Pasta: 100g flour : 1 large egg

Baker's Percentages

All ingredients expressed as percentage of flour:

  • Flour = 100% (always)
  • Salt = typically 1.8-2.2%
  • Yeast = 0.5-2% (instant)
  • Hydration = varies by bread type

Why Weigh Ingredients

  • More accurate than volume measures
  • Easier to scale recipes up or down
  • Consistent results every time
  • Fewer dishes to wash

Related Calculators

Recipe Scaler

Scale recipes up or down for any number of servings. Get instant ingredient conversions.

Cooking Measurement Converter

Convert cooking measurements: cups, tablespoons, ounces, grams, and temperature.

Meat Cooking Time Calculator

Calculate cooking times for beef, pork, chicken, turkey. Get internal temps for perfect doneness.

Percentage Calculator

Calculate percentages instantly. Find what percent of a number is, percentage increase/decrease, and more.

Fraction Calculator

Add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions. Get results as simplified fractions, mixed numbers, and decimals.

Average Calculator

Calculate mean, median, mode, range, and standard deviation. Complete statistics for any data set.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are baker's percentages?

In baker's math, all ingredients are expressed as a percentage of flour weight. Flour is always 100%.

What is hydration in bread baking?

Hydration is water weight ÷ flour weight × 100. 60% hydration means 600g water per 1000g flour.

What is the 1-2-3-4 cake ratio?

1 part butter, 2 parts sugar, 3 parts flour, 4 parts eggs (by weight). Classic butter cake ratio.

Why weigh ingredients instead of measuring by volume?

Weight is more accurate. A cup of flour can vary 20-30% depending on how it's scooped.