Sourdough Starter Feeding Ratio Calculators
Sourdough Starter Feeding Ratio Calculators
I’m horrible at math, so I created two sourdough starter calculators. I figured I would make them available here on my blog in case you need them, too!
The first calculator allows you to enter how much starter you need, and you can choose your own feeding ratio.
The second calculator is for those who don’t really know what feeding ratio to use. Just choose when you want your starter to be ready to bake with, and the calculator will suggest the amount of starter, flour, and water to use.
If you want to learn ALL the details about feeding ratios – what they are, what the numbers mean, how you can use them to your advantage – check out this guide: The Ultimate Guide to Sourdough Starter Feeding Ratios
P.S.: I have another calculator to help with baker’s percentages and hydration level if you need it. Find it here: Sourdough Baker’s Percentage & Hydration Level Calculator
Sourdough Starter Feeding Ratio Calculator
Here’s a calculator to help you figure out how much starter, flour, and water to use with your desired feeding ratio:
How to use this calculator:
- In the first box, type how many grams of starter you want to make. This can be any number, based on your recipe.
- In the second through fourth boxes, input the ratio you want to use, like 1 to 1 to 1 (equal parts starter, flour, and water) or another ratio like 1 to 5 to 5 (1 part starter, 5 parts flour, 5 parts water). Experiment with different ratios for different peak windows. A 1:5:5 is my favorite ratio – I do this morning and night!
- Click ‘Calculate’. The calculator will show you exactly how much starter, flour, and water you need in grams to make the total starter amount you entered.
Useful material: Is My Sourdough Starter Ready to Bake With? How I Can Tell
Sourdough Starter Feeding Ratio Calculator (Select Your Timeframe)
If you have no clue what feeding ratio you want, this calculator lets you choose how far in the future you want your start to peak.
If you want your starter to be ready in 7 hours, as an example, select the 6-8 hour option. The calculator automatically picks the right feeding ratio for you and lets you know how much starter, flour, and water to use.
Fine print: this calculator makes assumptions based on averages for a 75°F/24°C home. You may need to adjust up or down based on your lived experience or if your home is warmer or cooler than mine. The strength of your starter will also greatly impact these averages.
The calculations used are as follows: 1:1:1 – 4 to 6 hours, 1:2:2 – 6 to 8 hours, 1:3:3 – 8 to 10 hours, 1:4:4 – 10 to 12 hours, 1:5:5 – 12 to 14 hours, and 1:10:10 – 16 to 24 hours.
Related:
I’m new – I’m a bit confused – the person who gave me the starter 1 month ago has answered many questions, in different ways, & I’ve listened/watched so many short videos that I’m confused. So, for me—-I only bake 1x a week, so I keep my starter in my refer. I started out with maybe 50 g of starter, but in the feeding/discarding/making dough process I’m down to maybe 1/2 that. Soooo, I took it out of the refer last night before bed—-fed it 1 oz of water & 1/4c of flour. This morning, it was raised but still not enough for a recipe calling for 100g of starter. So, I fed it again, same amount, & waited for it to rise (2-3 hrs) – & it at least doubled, looked good, and was enough for my recipe. NOW, how do I maintain this starter ? Put it in the fridge with this small amount left (maybe 20g) and wait until I want to make bread & then feed it the 1:5:5 ratio instead ? Would I have to discard at this point? I was taught to use this dough for levain…and I ‘get that this means, never use up all my starter, but make enough, take out what I need for levain (the recipe) and continue on w the starter I have. Does this make sense ? Basically, I’m confused w/how much and how often I need to feed this little amount—kept all week in refer. Thank you
Hey, I think this video I made for my mom will clear all of this up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t35Mwl_dLFU&t=334s
This is simply AMAAAZIIING!!! Wow!! I know how to do it without the calculator but wow! It saves time and mental load. Thank you so much xx
You’re so welcome!
Have you ever used semolina flour and how do you actually make a starter with it if you don’t have a starter?
I believe I did use semolina flour for a while from Caputo. I have never made a starter – I got some from a local baker so I could skip that step!
Okay, so the routine I am trying to start for myself gets harder bc i tend to overthink it. I just got my starter 12/31 and have been doing a 1:1:1 ratio of Costco Kirkland flour in the green bags. It is now 1/2, and I’ve been feeding it once a day.
If I have, let’s say 190gs that is what I can see as of the jar filled with starter, so in my head, that means just the starter. That is the “named starter” that I keep myself feeding a 1:1:1 ratio both AM/PM at the same 12 hr time slot. (or is it okay to just feed once a day in the PNW winter?) Should I divert from what made sense to me, of weighing 50-60g of starter and using that for the ratio? When do I like to start transferring the idea of using my sourdough for use?
I hope it comes off as me feeling like I am generating an infinite timeline of 50-60g feedings! I want to build my confidence here. I love learning, and appreciate all of the work you have put out. (for free too!!!)
Thank you,
from a chronic overthinker.
Hey!! OK for starters, I think this video would really help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BzQO9gCaJY&t=23s
And just in general – I would definitely discard down to a manageable amount so you aren’t drowning in starter and discard. If you’re just doing a feed to keep your starter alive (and you don’t need enough to make a loaf), you can discard down to like 5g and just feed it 25g water, 25g flour. This is a 1:5:5 feeding ratio and is generally suitable for twice a day feeds (once a day is fine but twice a day is ideal). I do not recommend ever feeding 1:1:1 to maintain your starter – it peaks in 4-6 hours and you ideally want to feed it shortly thereafter, meaning to keep it healthy, you’re feeding it 3-4 times a day – ain’t nobody got time for that!
Here’s a post about how to tell when your starter is ready for baking: https://thatsourdoughgal.com/is-my-sourdough-starter-ready/
If you have any more questions, feel free to email me. hello@thatsourdoughgal.com
This is the best thing ever! It takes the guess work out and makes my baking life much easier!
Hello. Thank you for sharing all of this information. Being relatively new these two calculators will definitely help. I’ve made a couple of your recipes and I think I’m getting better at baking them. The CC Wonderbread is a household favourite but, I keep getting little darker spots that I’m not sure why. Is it over or under-proofed maybe. I cook it as pee directions and use the digital thermometer to ensure it’s at the right temperature.
Is there a way to save the calculators to use later on or just come back to this post to use them?
Love following your page.
Thanks for sharing all you do.
Darker spots are typically a sign of overfermentation, but I’d love to see a photo to confirm. You would just bookmark this page! I’m thinking about developing an app but just not quite there yet. Thanks so much for the kind words
You have made this sourdough journey SO much easier and also easy understand. Thanks you so much for these 2 calculators.
Yay, I’m so glad these are helpful!
How often can you feed your starter
It’s ideal to feed it once per day if you are keeping it on the counter, but it also depends on what feeding ratio you use. If you feed 1:1:1, you’d be looking at 3-4 times per day to keep it healthy. So that is kind of a loaded question!