Sourdough starter feeding ratios can feel mathematical and confusing at first glance, but I promise you: they’re very simple and easy!

Here’s what feeding ratios have to offer:

  • Total control over your own sourdough routine
  • More precision so you can have repeatable, predictable results every time you feed your starter
  • Less waste and sourdough discard
  • Better sourdough starter health

What’s not to love?!

I promise if my English major brain can wrap my head around this, you can, too. Plus, I made a calculator so we all have a shortcut at the end of the day.

Use the Sourdough Starter Feeding Ratio Calculator

Feeding Ratios at a Glance

I’m a very visual learner, so seeing how feeding ratios actually work feels like the best place to begin.

In the following video, you can see how different feeding ratios cause the starter to peak at different times. The more starter you have in the jar to begin with, the faster it will peak.

@thatsourdoughgal

Control your sourdough routine by choosing a feeding ratio that fits within your day. If you want to feed your starter 3x per day and bake often, a 1:1:1 or 1:2:2 ratio works beautifully. If you’re more of a twice-a-day feeder, a 1:5:5 ratio is ideal (that’s what I do!). If you want to ideally feed your starter once per day for the most part, a 1:10:10 ratio works well. You can use sourdough starter feeding ratios to dictate when your starter will be ready to use. And it’s not like you have to use it as soon as it peaks – it stays there for a few hours, typically, giving you a window of time. I have a feeding ratio calculator on my website that made this experiment easy. I just put in that I wanted 100g of starter for each jar, and I entered the ratios. It told me how much starter, flour, and water to use without me doing any math. Visit the link in my bio to get to my website. The calculator is there! Here is specific information about when my starters peaked and how long they stayed that way before deflating. My home is 75°F. 1:1:1 ratio: Took just under 5 hours to peak and stayed peaked for 3 hours. 1:2:2 ratio: Took about 5.5 hours to peak and stayed peak for about 6 hours. 1:3:3 ratio: Took 8.5 hours to peak and stayed peaked for 5 hours. 1:5:5 ratio: Took 10 hours to peak and stayed peaked for around 4.5 hours. 1:10:10 ratio: Took 17 hours to peak and stayed peaked for about 2.5 hours. By the way, I don’t know why the 1:5:5 ratio is the only jar that didn’t overflow. Comment with your thoughts! #sourdoughstarter #feedingratios #sourdoughtok #sourdoughtimelapse #feedingsourdoughstarter

♬ original sound – thatsourdoughgal

With this visual in mind, let’s take a look at what all those numbers mean.

The Numbers In Sourdough Starter Feeding Ratios

A sourdough starter feeding ratio has three numbers, in a format like this: 1:1:1.

The first number represents the starter. The second number represents the flour, and the third is the water.

1 1 1

In the simplest example of a 1:1:1 (voiced as “one to one to one”) feeding ratio, we have 1 part starter, 1 part flour, and 1 part water.

If you want 200g of starter for a recipe, as an example, you’d divide 200 into three parts, which gives us:

  • 67g starter
  • 67g flour
  • 67g water (all rounded to the nearest whole number)

Pretty simple, right?

Understanding Larger Feeding Ratios

A 1:1:1 feeding ratio is pretty simple because it’s equal parts, and most people can understand that fairly quickly.

I start to see confusion when we use larger feeding ratios, like 1:5:5.

As a reminder, this means 1 part starter, 5 parts flour, and 5 parts water.

If you add all of these “parts” together, we have 11 parts to work with. If we want 200g of starter for a recipe, we’d divide 200 by 11, which gives us:

  • 18g starter (1 part)
  • 91g flour (5 parts)
  • 91g water (5 parts)

Note: Again, I rounded these numbers to the nearest whole number, so please don’t get confused. It’s technically 18.18g in one part, which is why 5 parts comes out to 91g and not 90g.

Feel free to plug in different numbers in my feeding ratio calculator to better understand how this works!

Understanding Yeast and Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) in Your Starter

The following section was kindly written and provided by Tom Cucuzza of The Sourdough Journey.

When sourdough bakers struggle with a “weak” starter, it is more likely that your starter has become acidic. 

Your starter contains two primary microbes:

  1. Yeast
  2. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB)

When the lactic acid bacteria begin to outrun the yeast, it builds up a high acid load that chokes off the yeast production. A healthy starter keeps the acidity level low, which favors yeast production.

Many starters naturally become acidic over time, and learning to “de-acidify” your starter is just like doing routine maintenance on your vehicle.  

Revitalizing a Weak Starter with Feeding Ratios

If your starter becomes sluggish and is not raising your dough quickly, or rising quickly after feeding, it is likely becoming acidic. 

Your starter can become acidic due to two primary reasons: 

  1. Low feeding ratios (e.g., 1:1:1), and/or
  2. Letting your starter fall completely flat before discarding and feeding.

Both of these routines can cause your starter to become acidic but also know that sometimes, it just naturally happens over time with a well-maintained starter. 

If your starter becomes acidic, you can correct it in two ways: 

  1. A few high ratio feedings like 1:5:5 or 1:10:10, and/or
  2. A few “peak-to-peak” feedings.

High feeding ratios keep a very small amount of carryover starter, and by giving it a large feeding of flour and water, you dilute the acidity and give the yeast a chance to strengthen.  

Peak-to-peak feedings can achieve the same result. By discarding and refeeding as soon as your starter peaks, you favor the yeast instead of the lactic acid bacteria. A few back-to-back peak-to-peak feedings can deacidify your starter, too.  

To learn more about starter acidity and these techniques check out the video “How to Strengthen a Weak Starter,” on YouTube at The Sourdough Journey, or on the website thesourdoughjourney.com.

That concludes the section so generously provided by Tom Cucuzza of The Sourdough Journey. Thank you, Tom, for sharing this insight and advice!

Scaling Up or Down: Why Ratios Matter More Than Exact Grams

Some people watch my feeding ratio videos and say: “I get that your ratio is 1:5:5, but what are the exact grams in the jar?”

The answer is it doesn’t matter – how many grams of starter, flour, and water are in my jar will vary based on how much starter I need.

Ratios simplify scaling up or down, giving flexibility to make any amount of starter you require for a recipe.

When feeding a starter, the ratio (like 1:5:5) is what determines the timing of its peak, not the exact grams used. For instance, whether you’re using 50g or 1000g, a 1:5:5 ratio will peak consistently around the same time.

As Hannah from Crusty Cravings by Hannah notes, “The peak time stays the same no matter the amount. While more starter might retain heat and speed things up, I haven’t found that to be the case. My 1:10:10 ratio takes about 12 hours to peak.”

Ratios focus on the proportions of starter, flour, and water, so you can make as little or as much as your recipe requires.

Why Do Different Ratios Look the Same?

A lot of people saw my timelapse video and got confused about how they all started out at the same level if they were different ratios.

Remember we’re talking about parts of a whole here – all of those 5 jars had a total of 100g inside – it’s just the amounts of starter, flour, and water that are different!

Using Feeding Ratios In Your Sourdough Routine

The beauty of feeding ratios is you can choose one that fits with your schedule.

Decide when you plan to use your starter and work backward!

If you want to put some dough together in 4-6 hours, use a 1:1:1 feeding ratio. If you want to feed your starter before bed to make bread in the morning, consider something around a 1:5:5 ratio.

The temperature of your home will impact these times. A warmer home will cause the starter to rise faster whereas a cooler home will slow things down.

Adjusting Your Routine With the Seasons

As your kitchen temperature changes with the seasons, you may want to adjust your feeding ratio.

Remember: cooler temperatures slow down the yeast and bacteria in your starter, so it will take longer for it to rise.

In the wintertime, you may prefer a 1:2:2 or 1:3:3 feeding ratio, wheras in the summer, you may prefer a 1:5:5 or 1:10:10 feeding ratio.

Feel free to play around with different ratios to find the one that works best with your schedule and kitchen temperature.

My Feeding Routine

For my own typical feeding schedule, I aim to feed my starter a 1:5:5 ratio in the morning and at night.

@thatsourdoughgal

Over time, I slowly adjust some of my methods when it comes to sourdough. Getting more precise with my feedings is one of those methods! I’ve finally settled into a routine and sticking to a 1-5-5 feeding ratio is perfect for it. #sourdoughstarter #sourdoughroutine

♬ original sound – thatsourdoughgal

I do this for two main reasons:

  1. It ensures I always have a peaked starter at the main times I’m ready to start baking: first thing in the morning or before bed (for an overnight recipe). It’s frustrating when you’re ready to bake but your starter isn’t – this schedule has really solved this problem for me.
  2. It has transformed the health of my starter by ensuring it’s never starving. I’m essentially feeding my starter peak-to-peak, which is a tactic to strengthen a sluggish starter. I have not dealt with a sluggish, overly acidic, or weak starter since implementing this schedule.

Do I always remember to feed my starter twice per day? No. If I feed it once in a day, it’s perfectly fine. But I’ve personally found that twice a day produces even better results.

Feeding Ratio Timing

So, how long does it take for different feeding ratios to peak?

The answer to that is: it depends. I’ve done several time lapses and experiments in my own kitchen and have a good idea of how long different ratios take to peak.

That said, the timing in your kitchen may be slightly different. The temperature of your kitchen is likely the biggest factor as the yeast and bacteria in a starter are highly influenced by temperature.

In my home, which is typically about 75°F/24°C, here’s what my peak times look like (verified many times and very consistent):

Feeding RatioApproximate Peak Time at 75°F/24°C
1:1:14.5-5 hours
1:2:25-5.5 hours
1:3:36.5-9 hours
1:5:510 hours
1:10:1017 hours
Note: I feed my starter with King Arthur unbleached bread flour and tap water (we have well water).

If your kitchen is warmer, your peak times will be faster, and if your home is colder, they will be slower.

Eyeballing Your Feeds vs Using Feeding Ratios

I personally believe there is nothing wrong with eyeballing your feeds. I did that for a long time, and I even have an entire blog post about how I did it.

That said, using feeding ratios is certainly more precise, and I’ve found it also reduces waste and excess discard.

I didn’t realize until I started measuring my feeds that you don’t need hardly any starter to carry over. If you’re doing a 1:5:5 feeding ratio and want 100g of starter, you literally need 9g of starter. That’s it.

When I was eyeballing my feeds, I was definitely carrying over a lot more starter than this. If you find you’re wasting a lot of starter or can’t go through all of your discard, consider using a scale and using feeding ratios instead of eyeballing your feeds.

Is My Sourdough Starter Ready to Bake With Here's How I Can Tell

FAQs

What is the best feeding ratio for sourdough starter?

I wouldn’t call any particular feeding ratio the “best” for every situation. I use many different feeding ratios depending on my situation. While my maintenance is usually a 1:5:5 ratio, I’ll often choose other options depending on when I need my starter to peak.

What’s the best feeding ratio if I only bake once a week?

If you only bake once per week and typically keep your starter in the fridge, I’d advise a 1:5:5 feeding ratio. You may need to feed your starter twice before baking to ensure it’s fully perked up and ready to raise your bread.

What is the best feeding ratio for creating a new starter?

I have never created a sourdough starter from scratch. The information in this article is for an established starter. If you’re creating a starter from scratch, I’d suggest this recipe and guide from Maurizio at The Perfect Loaf.

What does feeding peak-to-peak mean?

Feeding peak-to-peak simply means you are feeding your starter when it has peaked versus waiting for it to deflate before feeding again. This is a great tactic to strengthen your starter.

How do I keep my starter at a steady temperature for more predictable peak times?

Companies like Sourhouse and Brod & Taylor have created contraptions to keep your sourdough starter at a steady, ideal temperature.

You essentially put your jar of starter in these temperature-controlled environments. If you have a cold kitchen, it will help speed things up, and if you have a hot kitchen, it’ll prevent your starter from getting too warm (which favors the bacteria in the starter and can lead to undesirable effects).

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8 Comments

  1. I’m very confused about maintaining a starter. I have been baking about a loaf per week and feeding daily by discarding about half of what I have each day (leaving about 3/4 of a cup) and then adding 50-60g each of flour and water. Ot doesn’t go in fridge at all. My recipe calls for 50g of starter, 500g flour, 350g water and 9g salt. I found you and your site intriguing! Do you feed your starter daily?

    1. Hey Jody! I do feed my starter daily. I would suggest you simply feed a lot less. Instead of leaving so much starter in the jar, use a scale so you can get precise with how many grams of starter you have. You can maintain a starter on your counter with very little waste. As an example, you could do 3g starter, 12g flour, and 12g water. This is such a tiny amount but it keeps your starter active and healthy, and you won’t have so much excess discard.

  2. Hi, happy new year. I am looking at your website which is super interesting but I could not find the recipe for the sourdough starter, would you be able to help? Thanks so much

  3. Does changing your starter ration change the recipe you are using? For instance, I had been doing 1:1:1 and decided to try the 1:5:5. But I want to make your easy sandwich bread which says 100% hydration. Do I need to change anything in the recipe?

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