Have you ever come across a recipe on YouTube or in a Facebook group that mentions 70% hydration, 2% salt, and 20% starter, and found yourself wondering, “What does that even mean?” Don’t worry—you’re not alone! It’s called Baker’s Percentage. Let’s break it down.
Baker’s percentage is the standard way to calculate ingredient proportions in bread-making, where every ingredient is expressed as a percentage of the total flour weight (always 100%). Using these percentages, you can scale up or down while maintaining the same balance.
For example:
- Flour: 100% (base)
- Water: 70-80% (hydration level)
- Starter: 10-25%
- Salt: 2%
Water – Hydration Ratio: How it affects to the texture?
Hydration is the water-to-flour ratio, and it greatly affects the dough’s texture, elasticity, and crumb structure:
- Low Hydration (50-65%): Easy to handle by hand. Produces a firm dough.
- Moderate Hydration (65-75%): Standard for sourdough, balances ease of handling and open crumb.
- High Hydration (75-85% or more): Creates a more open crumb but requires advanced handling techniques.
For example, if you want to use 70% hydration for 500g of flour, you can calculate it as: 500 × 70%. This means you will need 350g of water.
Stater Ratio: Fermentation and Flavour
It depends on your recipe and style. The more starter you add, the faster the fermentation will be, resulting in a more sour flavour.
20-25% Starter: Faster fermentation, stronger sourdough flavour.
10-15% Starter: Slower fermentation, milder flavour.
Salt Ratio: Important role for a good sourdough loaf
Salt is essential for strengthening gluten, enhancing flavour, and improving appearance of your bread, while also controlling the fermentation process to ensure a consistent result.
It typically makes up 2% of the total flour weight.
For example: 500g flour, you will need:
500g x 2% = 10g salt
Create your own recipe
Once you understand the baker’s percentage, you can create your own recipe by adjusting the ratios.
Open Crumb: Increase hydration and perform more stretch-and-folds.
Denser Loaf: Reduce hydration and use less fermentation time.
Milder Flavour: Use less starter or shorten proofing times.
Tangier Flavour: Increase starter or lengthen fermentation.
I’d love to hear your thoughts! Have you tried adjusting your sourdough ratios, or do you have any tips of your own to share? Drop a comment below and let’s start a conversation—your feedback and experiences could help others on their baking journey!
