John <Nifcon@aol.com> wrote:
>Subject: Rose - bakers' percentages.
>Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2003 12:28:57 EDT
>
>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.
I originally referred to the baker's % as "the rose ratio" but two
scientists took issue saying that it is not actually or technically a ratio
so I thought I'd better be safe and call it by what it is referred to
traditionally. While I agree that the usual purpose is to be able to scale
up and down recipes, my purpose was a little different. It was to show
people the full amount of water, fat, and, salt including that which is in
added ingredients so they could have a sense of what the bread would be
like without having to make it and decide whether they might prefer a
different type of bread or maybe even to decrease or increase the salt or
the liquid etc. to suit their own tastes. Now I'm kinda sorry I didn't just
leave it as "the rose ratio!"
Off on book tour now so won't be able to respond too quickly but if there
are any questions about my new book I'll certainly address them on "the
list" as soon as I can.
best,
Rose