What is yield and how do you calculate it in baking?

• A. The total time required to bake a batch
• B. The number of portions produced; yield factor = desired yield / original yield
• C. The weight of dough before baking
• D. The amount of water added to the dough

Answer: (B)

Yield is the number of portions or the final amount a recipe will produce. It’s the target you use to scale a recipe up or down. The way to calculate it is to find the yield factor, which is the desired yield divided by the original yield. Then multiply every ingredient quantity by that factor so the proportions stay the same and you end up with the intended amount. For example, if a recipe makes 12 portions and you need 18, the yield factor is 18/12 = 1.5. Multiply all ingredients by 1.5 to get the new amounts. This keeps texture and flavor consistent as you adjust the batch size.