Bread Weight Calculator
Weigh your dough before shaping, or work backwards: enter the dough weight you need and your recipe's baker's percentages to get scaled amounts for every ingredient.
Results
- Flour
- 500 oz
- Water
- 350 oz
- Divide into
- 1 × 860 oz per loaf
How dough weight adds up
Total dough weight is the sum of every ingredient: flour, water, salt, starter (split into its flour and water at its own hydration) and extras. In target mode the same sum runs backwards - the calculator solves for the flour weight that makes everything else land on your target.
Typical dough weights
Starting points for common shapes - adjust to your pans and taste.
| Shape | Dough weight |
|---|---|
| 8.5 × 4.5 in sandwich loaf | 800-1,000 g |
| Medium boule or batard | 800-900 g |
| Small baguette | 250-350 g |
| Dinner roll or bun | 50-90 g each |
| Focaccia (home sheet pan) | 900-1,200 g |
The water share you enter is your hydration - the sourdough hydration calculator explains how starter counts toward it, and the starter feeding calculator makes sure you have enough starter on baking day.
Frequently asked questions
How much dough do I need for one loaf?
For a standard 8.5 × 4.5 in sandwich pan, 800-1,000 g of dough is typical; a medium boule takes 800-900 g, small baguettes 250-350 g, and dinner rolls 50-90 g each. Weigh the dough for a recipe that fills your pan well once, then scale from there.
How do I scale a recipe to a target dough weight?
Enter the recipe's baker's percentages - water, salt, starter and extras as a share of the flour weight - plus the total dough weight you need. The calculator solves for the flour weight that makes every ingredient land on the target, so you never scale by trial and error.
Does starter count toward the dough weight?
Yes. Starter is flour plus water, so its full weight adds to the dough. In target mode its share is derived from the starter percentage, and that weight already contains its own flour and water, so nothing is double-counted.
Why does my baked loaf weigh less than the dough did?
Water evaporates during baking - typically 10-15% of dough weight for a standard loaf, more for crusty shapes. If a recipe states a baked weight, plan the dough weight with that bake loss in mind.