Percentages as Classification

Percentages as Classification

Baker's percentage is a widely used method to express formulas for various bakery products, such as bread, buns, rolls, cookies, cakes, crackers, and doughnuts. In baker's percentage, the weight of the flour is always 100%, and the total percent of all the other ingredients is always greater than 100%. This allows for quick assessment of whether a formula is drier, saltier, sweeter, and so on. The following are some common baker's percentage values for different types of baked goods:

 

•  Bread: Water 60-75%, Yeast 0.5-2%, Salt 1.8-2.2%, Sugar 5-15%, Fat 2-5%
•  Cake: Flour 100%, Sugar 100%, Fat 100%, Eggs 100%, Liquid 70-100%
•  Cookies: Flour 100%, Sugar 100%, Fat 100%, Liquid 10-30%, Eggs 10-30%
•  Pastry: Flour 100%, Fat 80-120%, Water 40-60%, Salt 1.5-2.5%

 

These percentages can vary based on specific recipes and desired characteristics of the baked goods. By using baker's percentage, bakers can easily adjust ingredient quantities and assess the characteristics of a formula, contributing to the consistent production of high-quality bakery products.  

The significance of baker's percentage in baking is that it makes it easy to see at a glance the ingredient ratios and, therefore, the basic structure and composition of the dough or batter that will be obtained after mixing

Dimensional classification

Following guidelines we know from Baker’s Percent we understand as well some differences between products. Factoring in Water, Sugar and Fat compared to Flour/ Baker’s Percent and expressing that to a next dimension (which is dough temperature) we have found limitations on different formulations to classify our products. Any replacers (for sugar, fat or sodium) or other minor ingredients that influence dough behaviour are not incorporated. The following table is a simplified interpretation of a presentation in Manley’s technology of biscuits, crackers and cookies, page 275:

Category	Flour (+Starches)	Fat	Sugar	Water
1.       Pizza, Bread, Crispbread	100	0-8	0-5	97-100
2.       Water biscuits, soda crackers	100	0-30	0-12	87-100
3.       Cream crackers	100	28-38	0-7	94-100
4.       Cabin biscuits (bread replacer)	100	3-20	19-31	69-81
5.       Savoury cracker	100	20-30	10-30	70-90
6.       Hard sweet biscuits	100	25-32	30-45	55-70
7.       Continental semi sweet	100	15-30	29-61	39-71
8.       Short moulded dough	100	11-51	30-71	29-70
9.       Wire cut types	100	17-51	40-59	41-60
10.   Short sheeted dough	100	11-51	30-71	29-70

 

The fact that some categories have partial or full overlap shows even here that with these 4 main ingredients of our bakery products is still a complex given.

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