When expressing formulas in the percentage
system, 100 pounds of flour always represent 100 percent. Percentages of all
other ingredients are based on the flour. With this method the amount of
ingredient necessary to produce a given amount of bread can be calculated right
down to pounds and fractions of ounces. Example: Bread flour 100 percent, water,
variable 60 percent, Yeast, compressed 2 percent, Salt 2 percent, Sugar 5
percent, Shortening 5 percent, Milk, dry, nonfat 6
percent TOTAL FORMULA PERCENT 180 Total formula percent.
Construction of a bread formula to determine the
amount of each ingredient to use to produce 500 pounds of bread. Note: Dough
losses weight by giving off gasses and moisture
and by a small amount of dough that sticks to the mixer. This amount of loss
averages about 2 percent. Dough also losses weight during the proofing, baking
and cooling. This loss usually averages about 11 percent. These losses must be
taken into consideration when constructing a bread formula. The total percentage
loss equals 13 percent.
The following example explains how to take the
above losses into consideration when determining the exact weight of each
ingredient to use in the formula to produce a certain amount of bread: 1. Pounds
of bread required =
500 pounds; 2. 100% = (Total
percentage of ingredients to use to produce 500 pounds of bread
); 3. Total loss =
13 %; a. 100% - 13% =
87% after loss. This is the net percentage of bread (500) that can be produced
from 100% of ingredients; b. To find how much 100%
ingredients equals, it is necessary to divide 500 pounds of baked bread by 87%.
This is referred to as the amount of dough required to produce 500 pounds of
bread. Note: Remember that when using percentages, you must move the decimal
point two points to the left.
Then, the formula is converted into pounds and
ounces. 500 pounds of bread required in the recipe divided by
.87= 574.71 pounds
of ingredients to use in the formula, 574.71 pounds of ingredients divided by
the total formula percent ( 180%
) =319.28 pounds of
flour to use, Since all ingredients in the formula are based on the flour, the
percent of each ingredient is multiplied times the pounds of flour in the
formula. Ingredient Pounds: Flour ( 100%
) = 319.28; Water
( 60% times 319.28 pounds of flour
)= 191.57; Yeast ( 2% times 319.93
) = 6.40; Salt
( 2% times 319.93 )
= 6.40; Sugar ( 5%
times 319.93 ) = 16.00;
Shortening ( 5 % times 319.93
) = 16.00; Milk, dry
nonfat ( 6 % times
319.93 ) = 19.20;
Total pounds of ingredients == 574.71
Note: The above computations show that the
baker's method of formula construction is a very accurate method. The 574.71
total pounds is easily converted to pounds and ounces as follows: The .71 pounds
is converted to ounces by multiplying the .71 times 16
(16 ounces in a pound)
=l 1.36 ounces . To
change .36 of an ounce to fractions of an ounce multiply the .36 times 16
= 5 3/4 ounces. Total pounds of ingredients
= 574 Ibs =11 3/4
ounces. For all practical purposes, the pounds of flour would be rounded off to
575 pounds. The 191.57 pounds of water would also be rounded off to an even 191
or 192 pounds. All other ingredients however would be scaled to the closest
fraction of an ounce.
Another example
