Scale recipes using flour-based percentages.
In baker's math, flour is always 100% and every other ingredient is expressed as a percentage of the flour weight. This system allows bakers to instantly scale recipes to any batch size and compare formulas regardless of quantity. Hydration (water percentage) is the most critical number: 60-65% produces a stiff dough (bagels), 65-70% a standard bread, 70-80% a ciabatta/focaccia, and 80%+ very wet artisan loaves. Salt is typically 1.8-2.2% — below 1.5% tastes flat, above 2.5% inhibits yeast. Instant dry yeast at 0.5-1% for long fermentation, 1-2% for quick rises. Professional bakers worldwide use this system because it makes scaling intuitive and consistent.