Where this idea comes from· Ruhlman (2009)
Bread by ratio
Bakers have long written bread as weights in a ratio rather than as cups. In his book Ratio (2009) the American cook Michael Ruhlman gives bread as 5 parts flour to 3 parts water, by weight, with a little yeast and salt.
One thing to hold: A kitchen scale. Weigh 500 grams of flour and the ratio asks for 300 grams of water.
Why it matters: A ratio is a recipe that works at any size: double the flour and you double the water. Bakers call the same bread “60% hydration”, because the water is 60% of the flour’s weight, and 3 ÷ 5 = 0.6.
What we don’t know: Flours drink different amounts of water, so bakers adjust a little. The ratio is a place to start, not a law.
Common Core standards this practises
- 6.RP.A.3a tables of equivalent ratios, on a double number line
- 6.RP.A.3c a percent as a rate per 100