Bread Dough Calculator

How to Use This Tool

Start by selecting your bread type from the dropdown—this sets typical hydration, salt, and yeast percentages. For custom recipes, choose "Custom" and enter your own percentages. Enter the number of loaves you want to make and the desired weight per loaf (in grams or ounces). Click Calculate to see the exact ingredient amounts. Use Reset to clear all fields and start over. The Copy button saves your ingredient list to the clipboard for easy reference while baking.

Formula and Logic

This calculator uses baker's percentage, where flour weight equals 100%. All other ingredients are expressed as a percentage of the flour weight. The total dough weight equals flour plus water, salt, and yeast. The core formulas are:

• Flour = Total Dough Weight ÷ (1 + hydration% + salt% + yeast%)
• Water = Flour × (hydration% ÷ 100)
• Salt = Flour × (salt% ÷ 100)
• Yeast = Flour × (yeast% ÷ 100)

For example, with 65% hydration, 2% salt, and 2% yeast, the total dough weight is 109% of the flour weight (100% + 65% + 2% + 2%).

Practical Notes

Hydration adjustments: Higher hydration (70–80%) creates an open crumb but makes dough stickier; lower hydration (60–65%) is easier to handle. Adjust based on your flour—whole wheat and rye absorb more water. Increase hydration by 2–5% if your dough feels dry during kneading.
Salt and yeast ranges: Salt typically ranges from 1.8% to 2.2% for flavor and gluten development. Yeast varies: 1% for long ferments (like sourdough with commercial yeast) or 2% for shorter rises. For sourdough starter, use 20–30% of the flour weight instead of commercial yeast.
Scaling tips: Larger batches may require longer mixing and fermentation times. When scaling up, increase preferment (starter or poolish) proportionally. Use a digital kitchen scale for accuracy—volume measurements are unreliable.
Unit conversions: 1 ounce = 28.35 grams. The calculator handles conversions automatically when you switch units. For reference, a typical sandwich loaf weighs about 500–600 grams (18–21 ounces).

Why This Tool Is Useful

Bread baking is sensitive to ingredient ratios. This calculator removes guesswork when scaling recipes, helping you avoid dense loaves or wasted flour. It’s ideal for batch baking, recipe development, or adapting recipes for different pan sizes. By precisely calculating hydration and percentages, you can consistently achieve the crumb structure and crust you desire, whether making a crusty artisan loaf or a soft sandwich bread.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is baker's percentage?

Baker's percentage expresses all ingredients as a percentage of the flour weight (set at 100%). This method allows easy scaling and consistent results regardless of batch size. For example, 65% hydration means the water weight is 65% of the flour weight.

How do I convert between grams and ounces?

1 ounce equals 28.35 grams. Use the unit dropdown to switch between grams and ounces; the calculator automatically converts all ingredient amounts. Most professional bakers use grams for precision.

Why does my dough feel too wet or too dry?

Flour absorption varies by type and humidity. Start with the suggested hydration for your bread type, then adjust by feel: add flour if too sticky, or water (1–2 tablespoons at a time) if too stiff. Environmental factors like room temperature and humidity also affect dough consistency.

Additional Guidance

For optimal results, let your dough rest (autolyse) for 20–30 minutes after mixing flour and water before adding salt and yeast. This improves gluten development. Control dough temperature by using water that’s cooler or warmer than room temperature—aim for 24–26°C (75–79°F) after mixing. Use a thermometer to check. If using a sourdough starter, reduce the commercial yeast percentage or set it to 0% and account for the starter’s flour and water content in your totals. Finally, remember that fermentation time depends on temperature and yeast amount—warmer conditions and more yeast speed up the rise.