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General Scaling Information Understanding scaling involves more than understanding the mathematics used for multiplying the ingredients. Most sources recommend limiting the scale factor to 4 (or ¼). Other sources limit it to 2. Many baking formulas containing yeast do not do well with scaling. Formulas with egg whites also do not scale well. Liquid amounts and spices may have to be adjusted. Some sources suggest using a “fudge factor” for spices. Instead of doubling the amount of spice when the recipe is doubled, you would only increase it by 1.5. When decreasing a recipe by half, you would use 1/3 instead of 1/2 to determine the spice amounts. The cooking container also has a large impact on scaling. Evaporation of liquid in the formula depends on the surface area to volume of the container. The larger the surface area/volume ratio is, the greater the evaporation during cooking is. Stock pots have a small surface area/volume ratio. They are designed to minimize evaporation. Sautee pans have a large surface area to volume so evaporation is much greater. Try to use the same surface area to volume cooking container. Cooking time, temperature and liquid may need to be adjusted based on the container you use. For containers with a smaller surface area/volume than the original container, you will need to decrease the liquid and increase the cooking time since evaporation will be less than with the original container. Conversely, if the container has a larger surface area/volume than the original container, increase the liquid and decrease the cooking time to compensate for the greater amount of evaporation. If the baking container is shallower than the original, you may need to shorten the cooking time, raise the cooking temperature 15 to 25 degrees F, or both. If the baking container is deeper, you may need to lengthen the cooking time, lower the temperature 15 to 25 degrees F, or both. For foods such as meats, casseroles, etc., use a thermometer to determine when the desired internal cooking temperature is reached. When baking more than 1 item, increase the temperature by 25 degrees F. The cooking time will also be lengthened. When baking a half formula of breads, pies, cakes, etc., the temperature will be the same, but the baking time will be about 25% to 30% shorter than the original formula. For recipes that don’t scale well, make several small batches. These guidelines are provided to give you a starting point. They are not a substitute for testing and adjusting your recipes based on the results of those tests.
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