How to Calculate the Correct Amount of Dough for Your Pan

Calculate Bread Dough To Fit Your Pan

8/23/2015

Math is definitely not my best subject. I have come to learn that it's always easier to do the math than just eyeball it. I typically use grams per cubic inch. If you have a pan that you always bake in and like the results than use that as your base calculation. I calculate the volume of the pan and divide the weight of the ball of dough by the number of cubic inches yielding grams per cubic inch. This will give you a constant ratio that you can use for any pan so the dough will fill out the pan properly.

Then I calculate the volume of the new pan in cubic inches and then multiply by your grams/cubic inch ratio.

Example using simple numbers:
Original recipe pan size: 8" length x 3.5" wide x 3" tall (8 x 3.5 x 3=84 cubic inches)

Weight of the dough ball: 450 grams.
Grams/cubic inch = 450 grams divided by 84 cubic inches = 5.35 grams per cubic inch. This is your constant for all your pans

So now I want to use this totally different pan for the same bread recipe ... here is how much dough I need for this pan?
New pan size: 9" x 4" x 4" = 144 cubic inches.
(144 x 5.35 your ratio) = 770 grams of dough for this size pan

So you need to increase your recipe to fit into this new pan
770g divided by 450g =1.71 this is the factor you need to multiply your recipe by to increase it to fit into the new pan. Now it becomes very clear that if your recipes are in grams you can easily adjust the size.

Example:
Flour 300g need to be (300 x 1.71 = 513g of flour)
Apply this factor to each ingredient in the recipe.

Quick Reference:
12" pizza, personal (plate-sized): 175g (thin) - 250g (thicker)
14" pizza, thin crust, NYC style: 450g
14" pizza, medium "American" crust style: 540g
16" pizza, thin crust, NYC style: 567g

Sourdough and Rustic Loaves
Regular free-form loaf (boule) of sourdough: 1000g
Small free-form loaf (boule): 750g
"Standard" loaf-pan loaf (9.25" x5.25"x2.75"), heavier multi-grain bread or sourdough: 1100g

Other Breads
"Standard" loaf-pan loaf (9.25" x 5.25"x2.75"), light lean bread: 800g
12" hoagie/sandwich roll: 227g
6"/7" hoagie/sandwich roll: 113g

Standard baguette: 340g
Home oven baguette: 200-250g

Large pretzel: 160g
Bagel: 96-113g

Burger & hot dog buns: 92g
Small soft dinner roll: 48g

9 Comments

Pradeep Dinakaran

6/26/2018 07:43:30 am

For a 4.5 x 4.75 x 9.8 inches bread mould what will be the dough weigh .
Please calculate and suggest.

Best Regards
Pradeep

Satish

3/23/2020 07:03:47 pm

4.5*4.75*9.8=228.095
228.095*4 = 912.38
Approximately 900g dough

Tina

4/24/2019 11:04:27 pm

Tamara, I found this to be extremely helpful. I've just started backing bread and my pans are 9x5 sq in with a capacity of 1.9 liters while my recipes are usually set for 8.5x4.5 sq in loaf pans.

I was concerned that the weight of the finished bread would be far less than the weight of the dough ball, and would throw off the math but that hasn't been an issue.

I'd just suggest that if anyone finds the math confusing, create a simple ratio between the old pan and the new pan based on the equation above. It's the same process but might be a bit clearer visually. Simply put grams of finish bread over the square inch of the old pan = x over the square inch of the new pan and solve for x.

Ken Roller

5/29/2020 02:59:29 am

Thought provoking article...this is where I can use your help.

For example, based on the loaf pan I want to use, it says 800 grams of dough...how do you figure the optimal amount of flour that comprises the dough that weighs 800 grams? I’m using a 3.1 quart Romertopf clay vessel...just trying to understand the how much flour, water, etc that add up to the dough ball amount. Thanks

Tamara link

5/29/2020 05:45:43 am

Most of my loaves are around 800g and the hydration of the dough is 75%. So it depends on what type of dough you are wanting. I do loaf bread and that is perfect for a loaf of bread with 100% whole grain . So to figure it out take 800 divided by 1.75 and you get 457g of flour. Then 800g minus 475g is the water 342g in the dough. To check yourself to make sure it's 75% take 342 divided by 457 = .75 or 75%. So you can use this formula and decide what hydration you want for the dough and it will work.

Ken Roller

5/29/2020 01:30:40 pm

Hi Tamara...Thanks so much! This is the formula I was looking for. You’re awesome

Kay

4/4/2021 01:36:53 pm

This was a super useful resource. I'm going to print it out so I'll have the quick reference weights for my kitchen. Helped me portion a large amount of dough into hamburger buns and loaves. Thank you!

Sue S

12/6/2021 07:10:09 am

Thank you for this! I have been making what I call "breakfast bread" which is a nutritionally packed whole grain bread with flax and oats and honey and sunflower. As I have tweaked it, the weight of the dough has gotten bigger and bigger, to the point that my 2 9x5 loaf pans per batch are making loaves that are giant, and bread slices that don't fit in a sandwich bag or even in the toaster! I ordered some 8.5x4.5 with the hope to get three smaller loaves from the recipe - and found this post! Thank you! I will be trying it out thus week!! 😁

Patricia Wolfenden

3/30/2022 08:54:38 am

I need help with my pan too. Maths is a problem for me.

Calculate Bread Dough To Fit Your Pan

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Calculate Bread Dough To Fit Your Pan

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