Sourdough Starter Calculator

A sourdough starter is a living culture of wild yeast and bacteria. To keep it active, you must "feed" it regularly with fresh flour and water. The amount you feed it depends on the "ratio."

Understanding Ratios

• 1:1:1 (Maintenance): Equal parts starter, flour, and water. This is standard for daily feeding. If you have 50g starter, you add 50g flour and 50g water.
• 1:2:2 (Strengthening): Feeding the starter more food than its own weight. Good for strengthening a sluggish starter or extending the fermentation time before the next feed.
• 1:5:5 (Sweet / Leaven): Using a small amount of starter to inoculate a large amount of flour/water. Often used when building a "levain" for a bake, typically left overnight to peak.

The Importance of Weight

Always use a digital scale. Measuring cups are notoriously inaccurate for flour, which can lead to hydration issues. A starter that is too stiff (low hydration) or too liquid (high hydration) will ferment at different rates and develop different flavor profiles (acetic vs lactic acid).