How to Scale a Bread Recipe by Weight
Divide your desired flour weight by the original flour weight, then multiply every ingredient by that factor. To target a total dough yield instead, divide desired dough weight by the original sum of ingredient weights.
- 3 min read
- Updated 2026-10-22
Printable reference chart
Use your browser’s Print command to print this chart and the scaled ingredient list.
| Ingredient | Original example | 1.6× batch |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 500 g | 800 g |
| Water | 325 g | 520 g |
| Salt | 10 g | 16 g |
| Instant yeast | 5 g | 8 g |
| Total dough | 840 g | 1,344 g |
Reference values are approximate; use measured weights and your recipe’s stated conventions where available.
Scale your ingredient list
Replace the example with your ingredients, one quantity per line. This multiplies amounts; it does not convert ingredient densities or determine baking time. Suggested multiplier for this guide: 1.6. Enter it in “Multiply by.”
Scale from the flour you have
Suppose a familiar formula uses 500 g flour and you want to use 800 g. The multiplier is 800 ÷ 500 = 1.6. Apply it to all ingredient weights as shown in the chart. Keep the original flour blend in proportion. The example is an arithmetic illustration, not a complete tested bread recipe or fermentation schedule.
Scale to a dough yield
For three 450 g dough pieces, you need 1,350 g of dough before handling losses. The chart’s original ingredients total 840 g, so enter 1350/840 as the scaler multiplier. The result is about 803.6 g flour, 522.3 g water, 16.1 g salt and 8.0 g yeast after rounding. A 450 g dough piece will weigh less after baking because it loses moisture; do not confuse dough yield with finished loaf weight.
Account for starter once
If your ingredient list already includes starter, multiply that starter weight like every other ingredient. Do not add its flour and water again to the dough total. To analyze hydration, however, count its flour and water contributions in the respective totals. A 100 g starter at 100% hydration contains 50 g flour and 50 g water. A different starter hydration requires different arithmetic.
Keep the process under observation
A larger dough may behave differently in your mixer and retain heat differently during fermentation. Divide into original-size loaves if you want comparable shaping and baking behavior. Watch dough development and the recipe’s rise cues rather than scaling the clock. Keep yeast type and ingredient temperatures consistent for your first comparison.
Further reading: King Arthur Baking’s baker’s percentage reference. The worked numbers and charts here were calculated for this guide.
Frequently asked questions
Should salt scale with flour?
Yes. Keeping the same proportion preserves the formula.
Can I scale using baked loaf weight?
Use dough weight for the direct calculation; baked weight depends on moisture loss.
Do I multiply rising time?
No. Follow dough development and the recipe’s cues under your actual conditions.
Can I enter a fraction as the multiplier?
Yes. For example, enter 1350/840 to target that dough yield.