Bread Loaf Flour Calculator

How it works

Enter the number of loaves. This bread loaf flour calculator plans 500 grams of flour and 350 ml of water per loaf, a 70 percent hydration dough, so 2 loaves need 1000 grams of flour and 700 ml of water. Add about 10 grams of salt and 7 grams of yeast per loaf on top of the flour and water.

Flour per loaf: the 500 gram standard

Five hundred grams of flour makes one standard loaf, with about 350 ml of water, 10 grams of salt and 7 grams of yeast in this calculator. That gives a dough weight of about 867 grams before baking, which bakes down to a loaf of roughly 750 to 800 grams. Four loaves need 2000 grams of flour and 1400 ml of water, and one loaf needs exactly half that: 500 grams of flour and 350 ml of water. Competitor examples agree: 500 grams of flour at 68 percent hydration gives 340 grams of water, 10 grams of salt and about 5 grams of yeast.

Baker percentage explained

Baker percentage expresses every ingredient as a percentage of the flour weight, with flour always set at 100 percent. Water at 70 percent means 70 grams of water for every 100 grams of flour, so 500 grams of flour needs 350 grams of water. Salt at 2 percent means 10 grams per 500 grams of flour, and yeast at 1.4 percent means 7 grams. Percentages add up to more than 100 percent because flour itself is the 100 percent base: a typical lean dough totals about 173 percent. Baker percentage lets you scale any recipe: multiply the flour weight by each percentage, divided by 100.

Dough hydration bands by bread type

Hydration is water weight divided by flour weight, times 100. Bagels and pretzels sit at 50 to 57 percent hydration, pizza dough at 58 to 65 percent, sandwich bread at 60 to 65 percent, baguettes at 65 to 70 percent, everyday sourdough at 70 to 78 percent, and ciabatta and focaccia at 75 to 85 percent. This calculator uses 70 percent hydration, which suits most home breads: soft enough to shape, firm enough to hold its shape. Beginners should start at 60 to 65 percent, where the dough is easier to handle, and move up only when shaping feels comfortable.

Flour water salt yeast ratio

The core ratio for a lean loaf is flour 100 percent, water 60 to 70 percent, salt 1.8 to 2.2 percent, and instant yeast 0.3 to 1.5 percent. Salt strengthens gluten, controls fermentation and adds flavour, so bread without salt tastes flat and ferments too fast. Yeast amount trades against time: less yeast with a longer rise gives more flavour, while more yeast gives a faster but blander loaf. For enriched doughs, sugar, butter, milk and eggs join the ratio, but they are not counted as water in the hydration figure unless the recipe says so.

Sourdough starter percentage and true hydration

A sourdough loaf replaces commercial yeast with starter, usually 10 to 30 percent of the flour weight. A standard sourdough loaf uses about 500 grams of flour at 60 to 70 percent hydration, 2 percent salt, and 10 percent starter, about 50 grams. True hydration counts the flour and water inside the starter itself: a starter fed equal flour and water is half flour and half water, so 100 grams of starter adds 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water to the dough. That is why a sourdough recipe can show a baker hydration of 72 percent but a true hydration of 74.5 percent.

Bread recipe scaling and tin size

To scale a bread recipe, pick your target first: number of loaves times flour per loaf. Two loaves at 500 grams of flour each need 1000 grams of flour, and every other ingredient scales by the same factor. For tin size, match dough weight to the tin: a 500 gram flour dough of about 867 grams suits a large 2 pound tin, while a smaller 1 pound tin suits about half that dough. A tin that is too large gives a flat loaf, and a tin that is too small overflows, so check the dough weight against the tin maker guide before baking.

Whole wheat bread hydration

Whole wheat flour absorbs more water than white flour, so whole wheat bread hydration runs higher, often 75 to 80 percent, against 65 to 70 percent for white bread. Bran particles also cut gluten strands, so a loaf with a high whole wheat share rises less and feels denser. A practical fix is to start with 25 to 40 percent whole wheat and the rest white flour, raise the water by about 5 percent, and give the dough a longer rest so the bran hydrates fully before kneading.

Why sourdough bread turns out dense

Dense sourdough usually comes from underproofing, weak starter, or hydration the baker cannot handle. Check the starter first: it should at least double within 4 to 8 hours of feeding at room temperature. Then check bulk fermentation: the dough should rise by about 50 percent, feel puffy, and show bubbles, rather than following the clock alone. Finally, check hydration: if a 75 percent dough collapses during shaping, drop to 65 percent and build up in later bakes. Cold proofing overnight in the fridge also helps flavour and makes scoring easier.

Frequently asked questions