Baker’s Percentages

Bakers use a simple but versatile system of percentages for expressing their formulas.

The percentage of each ingredient is its total weight divided by the total weight of the flour multiplied by 100, or:

Total weight of ingredient / total weight of flour x 100% = % of ingredient

Procedure for calculating the Weight of an ingredient when the Weight of the Flour is know:

Weight of Flour x % of ingredient = Weight of ingredient

Ex_1. A formula calls for 20% sugar and you are using 10 lbs. of flour.

10 lb. x 0.20 = 2 lbs of sugar

Ex_2. Determine 50% of 1 lb. 8 oz

1. Convert lbs. to oz. and + the remaining oz. 16 oz + 8 oz = 24 oz

2. Multiply % x Weight 0.50 x 24 oz = 12 oz

Procedure for converting a Formula to a new yield:

Desired yield / total % of formula x100 = flour needed

then

Weight of Flour x % of ingredient = Weight of ingredient

too calculate the weights of the other ingredients

Ex: Original total percentage of the formula is 377.5%

New required amount is 6 lbs (or 3000 g) of cake batter

Move the decimal two points to the left to change the total percentage
Total % of weight = 377.5% = 3.775
Then divided the desired yield by the new percentage to get the weight of the flour needed.
Round off to the nearest highest number. This allows for loss of ingreideing duringthe process.
Use the weight of the flour and remaining ingredient percentages to calculate the wieghts of the other ingredients in the formula.

96 oz / 3.775 = 25.43 oz or, rounded off, 26 oz (1 lb 10 oz)

3000g / 3.775 = 794.7g or, rounded off, 800 g

Weight of flour for new formula = 800g

Now you can calculate the weight of other ingredients.

Weight of Flour x % of ingredient = Weight of ingredient

Ex,_1

Sugar 800 g x 1 (100%) = 800 g

Baking Powder 800 g x 0.05 (5%) = 40 g

Salt 800 g x 0.025 (2.5%) = 20 g

Emulsified Shortening 800 g x .50 (50%) = 400 g

Skim Milk 800 g x .60 (60%) = 480 g

Egg Whites 800 g x .60 (60%)