Baker's Percentage Calculator
Turn a dough weight and baker's percentages into grams of flour, water, salt and starter, with true overall hydration including the starter.
In short
Turn a dough weight and baker's percentages into grams of flour, water, salt and starter, with true overall hydration including the starter.
Formula: Flour = dough weight ÷ (1 + (water % + salt % + starter %) ÷ 100). Each ingredient = flour × its %. Starter flour = starter ÷ (1 + starter hydration); overall hydration = (water + starter water) ÷ (flour + starter flour).
What this calculator does
Turn a dough weight and baker's percentages into grams of flour, water, salt and starter, with true overall hydration including the starter.
You enter total dough weight, water (hydration), salt and starter / levain and a few other details, and the baker's percentage calculator shows the answer along with the working, so you can check it or try other numbers.
The page shows the formula, a numeric worked example, and the assumptions that affect this home calculation.
Inputs and what they mean
- Total dough weight
- — number value.
- Water (hydration)
- — number value.
- Salt
- — number value.
- Starter / levain
- — Enter 0 for yeasted dough.
- Starter hydration
- — 100 = equal flour and water.
How to use it
- Enter each value in the unit shown next to the box (use the unit converter first if your numbers are in other units).
- Check the breakdown to see every intermediate step.
- Read the limitations before relying on the result.
Formula
In baker's percentages flour is always 100% and every other ingredient is a percentage of the flour weight.
Flour = dough weight ÷ (1 + (water % + salt % + starter %) ÷ 100). Each ingredient = flour × its %. Starter flour = starter ÷ (1 + starter hydration); overall hydration = (water + starter water) ÷ (flour + starter flour).
Inputs used: Total dough weight, Water (hydration), Salt, Starter / levain, Starter hydration.
Worked example
1,000 g dough at 70% water, 2% salt, 20% starter (100% hydration)
- Sum of percentages = 100 + 70 + 2 + 20 = 192%.
- Flour = 1,000 ÷ 1.92 ≈ 520.83 g.
- Water = 0.70 × 520.83 ≈ 364.58 g.
Reading the result
The headline figure is the main answer. Any breakdown underneath shows the parts that make it up, so you can check the working and see what changes when you adjust an input.
Limitations and assumptions
- Other ingredients (yeast, sugar, fat) are not included in the total.
- Assumes one flour; blends are combined as one weight.
- Water absorption varies by flour.
- Exact baker's-math proportions, rounded for display. Flours absorb water differently, so adjust by feel.
- The result depends on the values you enter for this baker's percentage calculator; it does not supply missing rates, rules, prices, dates, or assumptions for you.
Reference: King Arthur Baking
Last reviewed:
Common questions
Why is flour 100%?
Baker's math expresses every ingredient relative to flour, so a recipe scales to any size by changing one number.
Why does overall hydration differ from the water %?
The starter also contains flour and water. Overall hydration counts them too.
Can I use it for yeasted dough?
Yes. Enter 0% starter; add yeast as a percentage of flour separately if you like.
How do I use the Baker's Percentage Calculator?
Enter the required values for Total dough weight, Water (hydration), Salt, Starter / levain, Starter hydration. The calculator applies the formula on this page and shows the main result with any supporting breakdown so you can check the arithmetic.
What formula does the Baker's Percentage Calculator use?
Flour = dough weight ÷ (1 + (water % + salt % + starter %) ÷ 100). Each ingredient = flour × its %. Starter flour = starter ÷ (1 + starter hydration); overall hydration = (water + starter water) ÷ (flour + starter flour). The visible formula section above lists the calculation path and the edge cases the page handles, so the result can be checked without relying on the form alone.
Can the Baker's Percentage Calculator be used for exact decisions?
Use it as a calculation aid, not as a substitute for checking the underlying rule, contract, policy, or professional advice that applies to your situation. When a result depends on local rules, personal details, prices, or dates, enter those values yourself and confirm them before acting.
Sources
Method based on King Arthur Baking.
Cite this page
Free Calculator. (2026, November 3). Baker's Percentage Calculator. https://freecalculator.tech/tools/bakers-percentage-calculator
"Baker's Percentage Calculator." Free Calculator, 3 Nov. 2026, https://freecalculator.tech/tools/bakers-percentage-calculator.
Baker's Percentage Calculator — Free Calculator, https://freecalculator.tech/tools/bakers-percentage-calculator