Recipe Scaler
Enter your recipe and scale by loaf count or target weight. All ratios stay intact.
How to use this calculator
Enter the ingredient weights from your existing recipe in the top section. Then choose how you want to scale: by loaf count (your recipe makes 1 loaf, you want 3) or by target weight (you want a specific total dough weight). The calculator multiplies every ingredient by the same factor so all your ratios — hydration, salt percentage, starter percentage — stay exactly the same.
Why scaling works
Baker’s percentage is built on ratios. Flour is 100%, and everything else is a fraction of that. When you multiply every ingredient by the same number, those fractions do not change. A recipe at 72% hydration stays at 72% hydration whether you are making one loaf or ten. This is the entire point of the system — it makes scaling trivial instead of error-prone.
The only thing you need to remember is to scale every ingredient, including salt and starter. A common mistake is to adjust flour and water but forget to scale the salt, which throws off the flavor and fermentation balance.
Common loaf sizes
If you are scaling by loaf count and are not sure what total weight to aim for, here are standard ranges:
Large boule: 850–1000g total dough weight. Bakes into a generous round loaf, good for families or for slicing over several days.
Standard boule or bâtard: 700–850g. The most common home baker size. Fits a standard Dutch oven and makes about 16–20 slices.
Small bâtard: 450–550g. Good for two people or for baking more frequently with fresh bread.
Sandwich loaf: 750–900g in a standard 9×5 inch pan. Slightly different shaping but the same scaling math.
When scaling gets tricky
Very small batches (under 200g total) run into measuring precision problems. Salt at 2% of 50g flour is 1g. On a standard kitchen scale that reads to 1g, you cannot distinguish 0.8g from 1.2g — a 50% error margin. If you bake small test batches often, invest in a 0.1g precision scale for salt.
Very large batches (above 3–4kg flour) may ferment faster because the larger mass retains heat. They also require more physical effort to mix and shape. If you are making more than 4 loaves, consider splitting into two separate batches and staggering the timing. Use our timeline generator to plan the schedule.
Rounding. When you scale 10g of salt by 1.5×, you get 15g — clean. When you scale by 1.33×, you get 13.3g. Round to the nearest gram for flour and water, and to 0.5g for salt if your scale supports it. These tiny differences will not affect the result.
Practical workflow
If you have a recipe in percentages rather than weights, use the baker’s percentage converter in reverse mode first to get a base recipe in grams, then come here to scale it. And if you are unsure about the hydration of your scaled recipe, the hydration calculator can double-check the ratio after scaling.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just multiply everything by the same number?
Yes. That is exactly what scaling does. Every ingredient gets multiplied by the same factor, which preserves all the ratios — hydration, salt percentage, starter percentage. The math is simple; the hard part is remembering to do it for every ingredient.
Does scaling affect fermentation time?
Slightly. Larger dough masses retain heat better and may ferment a bit faster. Very small batches cool quickly and ferment more slowly. For most home-baking scales (1–4 loaves), the difference is negligible. If you’re scaling above 5kg of flour, watch the dough more closely.
What is a typical loaf weight?
A standard round sourdough loaf (boule) uses 800–900g of total dough weight, which produces a loaf around 700–750g after baking. A smaller bâtard is 450–550g of dough. Sandwich loaves for a standard pan are about 750–850g.
Should I scale salt the same as everything else?
Yes. Salt is already a fixed percentage of flour in baker’s math (usually 2%). Scaling proportionally keeps that percentage constant. Do not add extra salt for larger batches or reduce it for smaller ones.
Can I scale a recipe to a very small test batch?
Yes, but below about 200g total dough weight, measuring accuracy gets challenging. Salt at 2% of 50g flour is just 1g — hard to measure on a standard kitchen scale. Use a 0.1g precision scale for salt and starter in very small batches.
How do I scale enriched recipes with butter and eggs?
The same principle applies: multiply every ingredient by the same factor. One large egg weighs about 50g out of shell. If your recipe calls for 2 eggs and you’re doubling, you need 4 eggs (or 200g of beaten egg if you want to be precise about partial-egg batches).