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Whole wheat and rye flours absorb more water. Hydration will be adjusted automatically.
Base: 72% = 72%
Salt to flour ratio (typically 1.5-3%)
Levain to flour ratio (typically 10-30%)
Levain hydration (typically 100%)
Dough temperature during fermentation
This sourdough recipe calculator employs the industry-standard baker's percentage formula to generate flawless artisan bread recipes consistently. This systematic technique, adopted by professional bakers globally, represents every ingredient as a percentage based on total flour weight, enabling effortless recipe scaling while preserving ideal ingredient ratios.
Mastering dough hydration levels is essential for producing the ideal crumb texture in sourdough loaves. The hydration percentage influences every aspect from your finished bread's texture to dough manageability during the shaping process. This tool enables experimentation with hydration percentages ranging from 60% to 100%, providing full control over your bread's final characteristics.
The levain percentage in sourdough recipes impacts both taste complexity and rising speed. Increased levain amounts (20-30%) create stronger sour notes and accelerate fermentation, whereas smaller percentages (10-15%) yield subtler flavors with more gradual, controlled rising. This calculator assists in discovering the optimal ratio matching your flavor preferences.
Salt content in sourdough typically falls between 1.5% and 3% relative to total flour weight. Beyond flavor enhancement, salt regulates fermentation pace and improves gluten development. The standard 2.1% setting delivers balanced taste that harmonizes with sourdough's natural acidity without dominating the flavor profile.
Temperature management represents one of the most frequently neglected elements in sourdough preparation, yet dramatically influences both fermentation duration and flavor complexity. This calculator provides temperature-adjusted fermentation time predictions, assisting with baking timeline planning. Note that dough temperature throughout bulk fermentation significantly impacts rising speed and flavor maturation.
Advanced bakers can utilize sophisticated options including flour blend configurations and multi-loaf scaling capabilities. Various flour varieties absorb moisture at different rates - whole grain and rye flours demand increased hydration compared to refined bread flour. This calculator automatically compensates for these differences to guarantee precise ingredient quantities.
The batch baking feature enables simple recipe multiplication for producing several loaves simultaneously. Input your desired loaf quantity, and the calculator instantly recalculates all ingredient amounts while preserving identical hydration, salt, and levain percentages. Ideal for large-batch preparation or special event bread making.
Different flour combinations require specific hydration adjustments. Whole wheat and rye flours naturally absorb more water than white bread flour, so our calculator automatically modifies hydration recommendations based on your selected flour blend. This ensures your dough achieves the correct consistency regardless of flour type.
From newcomers exploring sourdough fundamentals to seasoned bakers perfecting their craft, this sourdough recipe calculator delivers the accuracy and functionality required for producing consistently outstanding bread. Experiment with various hydration percentages, levain amounts, and flour combinations to develop your ideal sourdough formula.
Keeping a vibrant sourdough starter culture forms the cornerstone of exceptional sourdough baking. This starter feeding calculator precisely calculates the required flour and water quantities for feeding your starter, considering your present starter volume, target final amount, and selected feeding proportion.
A sourdough starter consists of a thriving ecosystem of wild yeasts and beneficial bacteria that naturally ferment bread dough. Compared to commercial yeast, sourdough cultures produce richer flavor profiles and enhance bread digestibility. Consistent feeding maintains starter vitality and ensures reliable leavening power for your bread recipes.
Feeding proportions specify the amount of flour and water added relative to your current starter quantity. Proportions are written as starter:flour:water. A 1:1:1 proportion indicates equal weights of starter, flour, and water. This represents the typical maintenance proportion that sustains starter health and activity for regular baking schedules.
1:2:2 proportion (double feeding) serves when rapid starter expansion is needed before baking. This proportion supplies additional nutrition for the microbial culture, leading to accelerated fermentation and heightened activity. Numerous bakers employ this proportion 24 hours before baking to guarantee peak starter performance.
1:3:3 and 1:4:4 proportions (triple and quadruple feedings) apply when maximum starter vigor is required. These larger feedings offer plentiful nutrition for the culture, producing highly active, vigorously bubbling starters. Utilize these proportions when preparing for significant baking sessions or when your starter appears lethargic and requires revitalization.
Feeding frequency varies based on storage method and baking frequency. For ambient temperature storage, feed your starter every day to preserve maximum activity. At room temperature, a thriving starter should expand to double its volume within 4-6 hours after feeding, displaying active fermentation indicators including bubbles and a rounded, domed top surface.
When storing your starter in the refrigerator, feeding frequency can decrease to weekly intervals. Cold temperatures substantially slow fermentation processes, maintaining starter stability over extended periods. Prior to using a refrigerated starter, reactivate it with several ambient-temperature feedings to restore full activity.
During starter maintenance, partial discarding before each feeding prevents excessive growth. This calculator computes discard amounts automatically using your current starter volume, target final quantity, and feeding proportion. This maintains proper ratios while reaching your desired quantity.
Starter discard need not be wasted! Numerous bakers incorporate discard into recipes such as pancakes, waffles, crackers, or quick breads. These applications efficiently utilize discard while supporting starter health through consistent feeding routines.
Before baking, expanding your starter to a specific volume is often necessary. This calculator precisely calculates flour and water additions needed to achieve your target amount. Particularly valuable when following recipes specifying exact active starter quantities.
For optimal results when preparing starter for baking, employ 1:2:2 or 1:3:3 proportions to guarantee maximum activity. Feed your starter 4-6 hours before planned dough mixing, permitting it to reach peak performance. A peak-activity starter will have doubled in volume, exhibit abundant bubbles, and possess a pleasant, mildly acidic fragrance.
What discard amount is appropriate? Generally, discard approximately half your starter before each feeding, though exact amounts depend on feeding proportion and target final quantity. This calculator performs these calculations automatically.
Is discarding always necessary? While occasional skipping is possible, regular discarding supports starter health by eliminating older, less active culture and creating space for fresh nutrients. It also prevents uncontrolled starter expansion.
What if my starter fails to double? If your starter doesn't double within 4-6 hours, attempt more frequent feedings, employ higher feeding proportions (1:2:2 or 1:3:3), or verify proper temperature maintenance (approximately 24-26°C or 75-78°F).
This sourdough starter calculator eliminates guesswork from starter maintenance, guaranteeing correct flour and water amounts for vibrant, active starter. Whether maintaining a daily-fed starter or reactivating a refrigerated culture, this calculator helps maintain ideal balance for successful sourdough baking.
Welcome to the most comprehensive and user-friendly sourdough bread calculator available online. Our tool is designed to help both beginner and experienced bakers create perfect sourdough bread using the time-honored baker's percentage method.
Baker's percentage (also known as baker's math) is a method of expressing ingredient ratios in bread recipes. Unlike traditional recipes that use fixed measurements, baker's percentage expresses all ingredients as a percentage of the total flour weight. This system makes it incredibly easy to scale recipes up or down while maintaining perfect proportions.
In our sourdough calculator, all percentages are calculated relative to the total flour weight (including the flour in your levain). This ensures accurate calculations regardless of your desired batch size.
Hydration is one of the most critical factors in sourdough bread making. It refers to the ratio of water to flour in your dough, expressed as a percentage. Our calculator allows you to adjust hydration from 60% to 100%, giving you complete control over your bread's texture and crumb structure.
Lower hydration doughs are easier to handle and shape, producing a tighter, more uniform crumb. These are ideal for beginners or when making breads that require intricate shaping.
This is the sweet spot for most sourdough bakers. Medium hydration provides a good balance between workability and open crumb structure. Most artisan sourdough recipes fall within this range.
High hydration doughs create those beautiful, open, holey crumbs that are characteristic of artisan sourdough. However, they require more skill to handle and shape. These doughs are very sticky and need careful technique.
Levain (also called leaven or sourdough starter) is a mixture of flour, water, and wild yeast that acts as the leavening agent in sourdough bread. Unlike commercial yeast, levain contains a complex ecosystem of wild yeasts and beneficial bacteria that give sourdough its distinctive tangy flavor and improved digestibility.
Our calculator allows you to adjust:
Salt plays multiple crucial roles in sourdough bread:
Most sourdough recipes use 1.5-3% salt relative to flour weight. Our calculator defaults to 2.1%, which is a balanced amount that enhances flavor without being overpowering.
Temperature is perhaps the most overlooked factor in sourdough baking, yet it has a profound impact on fermentation speed and flavor development. Our calculator includes a temperature adjustment feature that estimates fermentation time based on your dough temperature.
Key Temperature Guidelines:
Remember: Watch your dough, not the clock! The estimated fermentation time is a guide, but visual cues (50% volume increase, domed top, bubbles on surface) are more reliable indicators of readiness.
Different flour types absorb water differently and produce varying results:
Versatile and widely available. Produces good results but may not achieve the most open crumb structure. Protein content typically 10-12%.
Higher protein content (12-14%) creates stronger gluten structure, allowing for higher hydration and more open crumb. Ideal for artisan sourdough.
Adds nutty flavor and nutritional benefits but absorbs more water. Often used in combination with white flour. Requires higher hydration.
Adds distinctive tangy flavor and helps with fermentation. Very absorbent, so adjust hydration accordingly. Often used in small percentages (10-20%).
Baking at high altitudes (above 3,000 feet/900 meters) requires adjustments due to lower atmospheric pressure. Our calculator includes an optional altitude adjustment feature to help you compensate for these conditions.
High Altitude Effects:
Our calculator includes a dedicated Starter Maintenance Calculator to help you keep your sourdough starter healthy and active. Regular feeding is essential for maintaining a robust starter that will leaven your bread effectively.
Feeding Ratios Explained:
Our calculator is designed with both beginners and experienced bakers in mind:
Here are some essential tips to help you achieve perfect sourdough bread:
Your starter should double in volume within 4-6 hours of feeding at room temperature. If it's sluggish, feed it more frequently or increase the feeding ratio.
Mix flour and water first, let rest 30-60 minutes, then add salt and levain. This autolyse period helps develop gluten without kneading.
Instead of traditional kneading, use stretch and fold or coil fold techniques. These are gentler and work better with high-hydration doughs.
Learn to read your dough. Look for 50% volume increase, a domed top, bubbles on the surface, and a smooth, elastic texture.
Temperature control is crucial. Use the temperature of your water to adjust dough temperature. Aim for 24-26°C (75-78°F) for optimal fermentation.
Sourdough takes time. Rushing fermentation will result in underdeveloped flavor and poor structure. Plan ahead and be patient.
Your dough should have increased in volume by about 50%, have a smooth, domed surface, show bubbles, and pass the poke test (gently poke - it should spring back slowly, leaving a slight indentation).
High hydration doughs are naturally sticky. Use wet hands when handling, and don't add extra flour. The stickiness decreases as gluten develops during folding. If unmanageable, reduce hydration by 2-3% next time.
For active baking, feed daily at room temperature. If storing in the fridge, feed once a week. Feed when your starter doubles in 4-6 hours at room temperature.
While designed for sourdough, the baker's percentage method works for any bread. However, you'll need to adjust for commercial yeast recipes (which don't use levain).
This sourdough calculator is part of sourdoughy.com's commitment to providing high-quality tools and resources for home bakers. We believe that everyone should have access to professional-grade baking tools that make the art of sourdough bread making more accessible and enjoyable.
Whether you're a complete beginner or an experienced baker looking to refine your technique, our calculator is designed to help you achieve consistent, delicious results every time you bake.
Ready to bake your perfect sourdough loaf? Start by entering your desired dough weight and hydration percentage in our calculator. Experiment with different ratios, save your favorite recipes, and watch as your sourdough skills improve with each bake.
Remember: Great sourdough bread is a journey, not a destination. Each loaf teaches you something new about your flour, your starter, and your environment. Use our calculator as a guide, but trust your instincts and learn to read your dough.
Happy baking! 🍞