Scaling bread recipes with confidence
Scaling a recipe changes ingredient quantities and can affect fermentation, mixing, and baking times. The most reliable method uses baker’s percentages (ingredients expressed as percentages of flour weight) and a scale for accuracy.
Steps to scale:
- Identify flour weight: Convert the recipe to weights and calculate total flour weight; this becomes 100% in baker’s math.
- Apply percentages: Express yeast, water, salt, and other ingredients as percentages of flour. Multiply by new flour weight to get scaled amounts.
- Adjust yeast and time: Larger volumes ferment differently—reduce yeast slightly for bigger batches or expect longer proof times. Small batches may need a relatively higher yeast percentage to keep timing.
Practical considerations:
- Mixer capacity: Ensure your mixer or kneading surface can handle the scaled dough.
- Pan and oven sizing: Larger loaves need longer bake times and possibly lower temperatures; smaller loaves bake faster.
- Heat generation: Mixing large batches generates more heat—watch dough temp and use cooler liquids if needed.
Examples of percentage norms:
- Hydration: typical 60–75% for many breads (water weight / flour weight).
- Salt: 1.8–2.2% of flour weight.
- Yeast: depends on timing—0.2–2% depending on desired fermentation speed.
Test and note:
- For first-time scaling, make a mid-size batch and record timing and dough feel.
- Keep detailed notes so you can reproduce results.
Using weights and baker’s percentages gives predictable scaling across any batch size and keeps texture and flavor consistent.