Hydration in bread

[briochenewbaker]

I understand how to calculate bakers percentage in my recipes and to find my hydration percentage, but I’m confused how to really break it down exactly between water, eggs and butter. Can anyone help me to really break it down?

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I understand how to calculate bakers percentage in my recipes and to find my hydration percentage, but I’m confused how to really break it down exactly between water, eggs and butter. Can anyone help me to really break it down?

Flour is always 100%. The weight of the other ingredients are divided by the weight of the flour to determine the ratio (percent) of it.


So in this brioche formula you see flour is 10kg and it's 100%.

Salt is .25kg. Divide weight of the salt by the weight of the flour.

12.5 g salt ÷ 500 g flour = 0.025 (same as 2.5%)

60 g sugar ÷ 500 g flour = 0.12 (same as 12%)

250 g butter ÷ 500 g flour = 0.5 (same as 50%)

35 g yeast ÷ 500 g flour = 0.07 (same as 7%)

45 g water ÷ 500 g flour = 0.09 (same as 9%)

250 g ÷ 500 g flour = 0.5 (same as 50%)

	METRIC	BAKER'S %
Flour	500 g	100%
Salt	12.5 g	2.5%
Sugar	60 g	12%
Butter	250 g	50%
Yeast	35 g	7%
Water	45 g	9%
Eggs	250 g	50%
TOTAL YIELD	1152.5 g	230.5

If you want to create your own percentages, then multiply the weight of the flour by the percentage of the ingredients.

Example, you want to use 300 g flour. You want to use 80% butter. 80% is the same as 0.8.


300 g flour x 0.8 flour = 240 g butter

if you want to use 3% salt

300 g flour x 0.03 = 9 g salt

 

[briochenewbaker]

Thank you! I was able to calculate my percentages from the book you recommended- How Baking Works book that I read! Do I need to break down the hydration from each egg and in each portion of butter? Or is that not necessary? I didn't gather that info from the book but recently stubbled across the suggestion when trying to really zone in on my hydration levels.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Thank you! I was able to calculate my percentages from the book you recommended- How Baking Works book that I read! Do I need to break down the hydration from each egg and in each portion of butter? Or is that not necessary? I didn't gather that info from the book but recently stubbled across the suggestion when trying to really zone in on my hydration levels.

No. There’s no way to know the exact hydration of butter or eggs.

When butter is added, the weight of the butter is counted as a fat. Yes, water in butter will evaporate and create steam. yes we know that adding butter will slightly increase water content. But there is no way to measure the actual free water content to count it as liquid. And butter’s main contribution is fat. So we don’t bother calculating it toward water (liquid).

However, the weight of eggs is counted toward total liquid.

So say you are making a cake with 320 g flour; 176 g butter; 212 g milk. Flour is 100%.

176÷320 = 0.55 (55%)
208÷320 = 0.65 (65%)

The total liquid (eggs and milk) is 120% to weight of the flour.

Yours was an excellent question. Hope you are enjoying How Baking Works. It’s one of my favorite books on baking.

 

[briochenewbaker]

Thank you for further explaining and confirming what I thought. I read the entire book and reference it often. I learned so much. The actual science behind baking is incredible and just so interesting. Nothing like cooking. Makes me wish I went to school for it

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Thank you for further explaining and confirming what I thought. I read the entire book and reference it often. I learned so much. The actual science behind baking is incredible and just so interesting. Nothing like cooking. Makes me wish I went to school for it

I’ve been a baker for years. Have had lots of professional training, and I often reference the book too. The more you learn about the science of baking, the easier it becomes to troubleshoot failures; revise recipes; create your own. You’re that baking is very different from cooking. I love both, but a better baker than a cook. But I plan to work on my cooking skills.