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Calculating Dough Temperature

In yeast bread making, dough temperature is everything. It influences how quickly yeast ferments, how gluten develops, and how flavors evolve.

But here's the challenge: your room, flour, and mixer all contribute heat—and you can't fully control those. That’s why bakers adjust the one thing they can: the water temperature.

To hit your Desired Dough Temperature (DDT)—the ideal range where fermentation and structure align—you need a plan.

Using a simple formula, you can calculate the right water temperature to bring your dough to that sweet spot every time.

Step-by-Step Instructions for the DDT Formula

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Step 1 - Set Your Desired Dough Temp. (DDT)

1. DDT is often provided with the formula. 

2. Most yeast doughs = 75°-78°F

3. Hot kitchens? Aim lower.

4. Cold kitchens? Aim higher.

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Step 2 - Determine the Base Temp. 

Measure or estimate the following:

1. The room temperature.

2. The flour temperature.

3. The friction factor (FF):

    - Hand mixing: ~10°F.

    - Spiral mixer: ~20°F.

    - High-speed mixer: ~25°F.

4. Total the results. This is your Base Temp.

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Step 3 - Determine Required Water Temp.

1. Multiply the DDT times 3.

2. Subtract the Base Temperature.
3. The result is the required water temp.

​

(DDT×3) − (Base Temp.) = Water Temp.

or

(DDT×3) − (Room+Flour+FF) = Water Temp. 

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Calculating Baker's Percentage

Baker’s Percentage is a system used by professional bakers to build and adjust formulas by ratio—not just raw weights.

It starts with flour as the constant (100%) and expresses every other ingredient as a percentage of that flour. This helps you see the “balance” of a dough at a glance—especially hydration, salt, and yeast.

​

Why is this so helpful? It allows you to scale, compare, and tweak formulas without losing structure or consistency.

When to use Baker's Percentage

Use Baker’s Percentage when you need to:

  • Write or read professional
    bread and pastry formulas.

  • Compare doughs by hydration
    or salt content.

  • Adjust a recipe for different
    batch sizes or ingredient changes.

Raw Ingredients

  • Flour = Always 100% (your baseline).

  • Water = Determines dough texture
    (e.g., 68% = moist and stretchy).

  • Salt = Usually 1.8–2.2%
    (adds flavor, tightens gluten, slows yeast).

  • Yeast = Small percentages
    (0.3–1.5%) with major effects on rise.

Step-by-Step Instructions for the Baker's Percentage

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Step 1 - Start with the Baseline

1. Set your flour to 100%.

2. Other ingredients are a percentage of the flour weight.

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Step 2 - Do the Math 

To find an ingredient’s weight, multiply flour weight by the ingredient's percentage
(convert % to a decimal):

  • Water = 1000g flour × 0.68 = 680g

  • Salt = 1000g flour × 0.02 = 20g

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Step 3 - Scale Up or Down

Keep percentages the same. Just change the flour weight to get more or less dough.

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