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Basic Bread Ratio — 5 parts flour to 3 parts water (60% hydration)

Must Knowweight
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5 parts flour by weight

3 parts water (60% hydration)

Overview

The basic bread ratio is 5:3 (5 parts flour to 3 parts water (60% hydration)). Higher hydration (65-75%) gives more open crumb but is harder to handle. Master ratio guide for baking from memory.

Key Details

  • 5 parts flour by weight
  • 3 parts water (60% hydration)
  • 2% salt (by flour weight)
  • 1% instant yeast
  • Knead 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic

Why This Matters

  • Knowing the basic bread ratio lets you bake without a recipe
  • Baker's ratios are the foundation of all baking — scale up or down easily
  • Understanding ratios helps troubleshoot texture and flavor issues
  • Basic Bread is one of the most commonly searched baking formulas

How To

  1. 1Basic Bread ratio: 5:3 (5 parts flour to 3 parts water (60% hydration))
  2. 2Standard batch: 500g flour, 300g water, 10g salt, 5g yeast
  3. 3Higher hydration (65-75%) gives more open crumb but is harder to handle
  4. 4Weigh ingredients for the most consistent results
  5. 5Adjust ratio slightly based on humidity and altitude

Tags

unit-conversionsweightbaking-ratiosbasic-breadbaking-basicsratios

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Frequently Asked Questions

The basic bread ratio is 5:3: 5 parts flour to 3 parts water (60% hydration). Higher hydration (65-75%) gives more open crumb but is harder to handle