Understanding Pizza Dough Ratios & Baker's Percentages

Welcome to the educational section of our Pizza Dough Calculator! Here, we'll demystify the science behind perfect pizza dough by explaining baker's percentages and how they simplify recipe scaling.

How the Calculation Works

Baker's percentages express all ingredients as a percentage of the total flour weight, which is always set at 100%. This method allows for easy scaling of recipes, whether you want to make a small batch for one pizza or a large quantity for a party.

The Baker's Percentage Formula

The formula for calculating the baker's percentage of any ingredient is:

(Weight of Ingredient ÷ Weight of Flour) × 100% = Baker's Percentage

Example Calculation

Let's say you have a recipe with:

• 500g Flour
• 325g Water
• 10g Salt
• 2g Yeast

To find the baker's percentage for water:

(325g Water ÷ 500g Flour) × 100% = 65%

This means the hydration of your dough is 65%.

Why Baker's Percentages Are Important

• Scalability: Easily adjust recipe size without complex calculations.
• Consistency: Maintain precise ratios for consistent results every time.
• Communication: Standardized language for bakers worldwide to share and understand recipes.
• Experimentation: Simple to tweak individual ingredient percentages to experiment with dough characteristics.