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Rise & RitualBY SOL & SAHARA GOODSMy learning
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Flour, ratios & scale · Beginner

Baker’s math, made simple

Calculate hydration, salt and starter contributions without losing track of the whole dough.

Lesson 1 of 4

Flour is your reference point

Baker’s percentages compare every ingredient with the flour weight, which is always 100%.

Ingredients for this learning path

  • A written bread formula for practice

Equipment

  • Calculator
  • Digital scale
  • Notebook

The lesson

  1. Begin with a simple example: 500 g flour, 350 g water and 10 g salt, before accounting for any starter. Water is 350 ÷ 500 × 100 = 70%; salt is 2%.
  2. The percentages can add up to more than 100 because they are not fractions of finished dough weight.
  3. Write both gram weights and percentages next to a familiar formula. Keep the definition of total flour consistent throughout.

The baker’s note

Do not confuse a percentage of flour with a percentage of total dough.

Practice

Calculate the salt percentage in a formula with 750 g total flour and 15 g salt.

Technique lessons may require a separate complete formula. Read the full path before mixing.

LESSON 1 OF 4 · 6 min read

Flour is your reference point

Baker’s percentages compare every ingredient with the flour weight, which is always 100%.

Go to guided practice & lesson check

Let’s work through it

  1. Begin with a simple example: 500 g flour, 350 g water and 10 g salt, before accounting for any starter. Water is 350 ÷ 500 × 100 = 70%; salt is 2%.
  2. The percentages can add up to more than 100 because they are not fractions of finished dough weight.
  3. Write both gram weights and percentages next to a familiar formula. Keep the definition of total flour consistent throughout.

LEARN IT. TRY IT. MAKE IT YOURS.

Your practice bench

Read the whole lesson first, then work at your own pace. Check a step when you’ve practiced or reviewed it.

0 of 3 steps

STEP 1 OF 3

Begin with a simple example: 500 g flour, 350 g water and 10 g salt, before accounting for any starter. Water is 350 ÷ 500 × 100 = 70%; salt is 2%.

MAKE THE BAKER’S CALL

In baker’s percentages, the flour reference is…

TAKE IT TO YOUR OWN KITCHEN

Your next small experiment

Calculate the salt percentage in a formula with 750 g total flour and 15 g salt.

Record what happened in my journal
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Make it part of your practice

Calculate the salt percentage in a formula with 750 g total flour and 15 g salt.

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Next lesson

YOUR BAKING JOURNAL

Remember what the dough taught you.

Record your temperatures, timing, observations and one thing to try next.

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