April 1, 2015 - 12:01pm
Thoroughly confused about baker %, does it include levain?
So,
I always thought bakers percentages are ratios of ingredients measured again total flour in a dough. So, for example:
- 200 grams 100% hydration levain
- plus 600 grams of flour
- equals 700 grams of total flour (600 + 100 from levain)
- Which would mean 14 grams of salt would be 2% in bakers percentage
But now I'm reading Tartine and on page 48 it says:
- Water 750 grams = 75%
- Leaven 200 grams = 20%
- Total flour 1000 grams = 100%
- white flour 900 grams = 90%
- whole wheat flour 100 grams = 10%
- salt 20 grams = 2%
Just to be sure that the total flour doesn't include the flour from the leaven: later in the recipe he says, take the leaven, mix it with water, then add 900 grams of white and 100 grams of whole wheat flour.
In my calculations 2% of the above would be 2% of 900 (white) + 100 (ww) + 100 (from levain) = 2% of 1100 = 22.
So, what am I missing, or... simpler: do you account for levain flour in the baker's percentage?
thanks a bunch,
alef