Cooking Lessons Recipe Costing and Scaling 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A baker scales a bread formula using baker's percentages. If flour is 100% at 5 kg and water is 65%, how much water is needed?
- 3.25 kg (Correct answer)
- 6.5 kg
- 2.5 kg
- 3.75 kg
Correct answer: 3.25 kg
Water equals 65% of the flour weight: 5 kg × 0.65 = 3.25 kg.
Question 2: A recipe costs $42.00 and yields 3 quarts of sauce. Each serving uses 2 fl oz. What is the sauce cost per serving?
- $0.88 (Correct answer)
- $0.44
- $1.31
- $0.66
Correct answer: $0.88
Three quarts is 96 fl oz, giving 48 servings, and $42 ÷ 48 = $0.875, about $0.88.
Question 3: Which action best protects target food cost when an ingredient's price spikes temporarily?
- Re-cost the recipe and consider a substitution or portion adjustment (Correct answer)
- Ignore it since prices always drop
- Stop tracking invoices
- Raise every menu price by 50%
Correct answer: Re-cost the recipe and consider a substitution or portion adjustment
Re-costing reveals the impact so the operator can substitute, resize portions, or adjust price rationally.
Question 4: A recipe is scaled down from 50 portions to 15. What is the conversion factor?
- 0.3 (Correct answer)
- 3.33
- 0.15
- 0.5
Correct answer: 0.3
Divide desired yield by original yield: 15 ÷ 50 = 0.3.
Question 5: Portion control tools like scoops and ladles primarily help costing by doing what?
- Keeping serving sizes consistent so actual cost matches the costed portion (Correct answer)
- Making food taste better
- Speeding up dishwashing
- Eliminating food waste entirely
Correct answer: Keeping serving sizes consistent so actual cost matches the costed portion
Uniform portions ensure the real amount served equals the amount used in the cost calculation.
Question 6: An item has an AP cost of $2.00 per lb and a yield of 50%. What is its edible portion cost per pound?
- $4.00 (Correct answer)
- $1.00
- $2.50
- $3.00
Correct answer: $4.00
EP cost equals AP cost divided by yield percent: $2.00 ÷ 0.50 = $4.00 per lb.
Question 7: Why can direct linear scaling fail when multiplying a baked custard recipe by 10?
- Baking chemistry, pan depth, and heat penetration change with batch size (Correct answer)
- Eggs stop working in large amounts
- Ovens cannot hold more than one pan
- Sugar becomes bitter at scale
Correct answer: Baking chemistry, pan depth, and heat penetration change with batch size
Large batches alter cooking dynamics, so leavening, set times, and temperatures often need adjustment beyond simple multiplication.
Cooking Lessons Recipe Costing and Scaling 5
A baker scales a bread formula using baker's percentages.
If flour is 100% at 5 kg and water is 65%, how much water is needed?