Rose:
Baker's' percentages are not really percentages they are ratios.
The often quoted example of the Paris baguette which is usually; given as
100/60/2/2 of flour/water/salt/fresh yeast is saying that the bread
contains the ingredients in those ratios and it's only because convention
dictates that the flour weight should be expressed as 100 that percentages
come into the picture. The recipe could easily be specified as 50/30/1/1.
Also the benefits of calculating in ratios is only really apparent when
you're using metric weights. A kilo of flour, as an example of a starting
point I often use, just gives rise to weights of 1000/600/20/20 grams of
flour,water, salt and yeast.. Avoirdupois weights being binary in nature do
not map well onto ratios. If you wanted to make the recipe with, for
example 2 pounds flour, you have 2lb, 1lb 3 1/4 oz, 5/8 oz, 5/8 oz rounded
as close as possible. It is not immediately apparent what ratio underlies
these weights.
Get off your soapbox, John, cry the list!
John