Sourdough Calculator
From starter feed to final dough. Plan your entire bake.
Sourdough baking involves more moving parts than commercial yeast bread. You have a starter that needs feeding, a levain built from that starter for the specific bake, flour and water in the levain that count toward your recipe's total hydration, and then the main dough itself.
This calculator handles the full flow. Enter your target dough weight (usually 900-1000 g for one standard loaf) and target hydration (75-80% is typical for open-crumb artisan sourdough). The tool calculates the levain size, how much flour and water to mix for the levain, and the remaining flour, water, and salt for the final dough.
It also accounts for the starter used to seed the levain (typically 20% of the levain weight). Advanced users can adjust each variable: levain ratio, levain hydration (usually 100%), final salt percentage. The result is a complete baker's percentage breakdown plus absolute weights for every stage of the bake.
Full bake plan
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The Reference
Sourdough recipes typically use 15-25% of total dough weight as levain (the fermented portion). Levain hydration is usually 100% (equal parts flour and water). Starter amount in the levain is typically 10-20% of the levain's total weight.
All flour (including levain flour) counts toward the 100% base for baker's percentages. All water (including levain water) counts toward total hydration. Salt is added only to the final dough, not the levain, because salt inhibits yeast and bacterial activity.
Sourdough Complexity and Why a Calculator Helps
Sourdough has more variables than commercial yeast bread: starter maintenance schedule, levain build size and timing, final dough hydration, salt percentage, bulk fermentation temperature, cold retard duration, and shaping timing. Each decision affects the others. Change one and you often need to adjust two or three more to maintain balance.
The levain (pre-fermented portion) typically represents 15-25% of total dough weight. More levain means faster fermentation and slightly more sour flavor; less means slower and milder. A levain at 100% hydration (equal parts flour and water by weight) is standard; 50% hydration levain (stiff) produces different flavor profiles.
Our calculator handles the arithmetic automatically. You specify target dough weight and hydration; we compute the levain flour, levain water, starter seed, final flour, final water, and salt. This lets you focus on technique (timing, temperature, shaping) rather than math.
For deeper learning, our dough hydration calculator and baker's percentage calculator cover the foundational concepts that underpin sourdough formulation.
How to Use
- Enter your target total dough weight. Usually 900-1000 g per loaf.
- Enter target hydration. 75-80% for open-crumb sourdough.
- Adjust levain and salt percentages if desired. Defaults work for most recipes.
- Get the complete bake plan with weights for every stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good hydration for sourdough?
Depends on your experience and desired crumb. 72-75% for beginners (easier to handle, still open crumb). 75-80% for intermediate (classic artisan sourdough). 80-85% for advanced (very open, very challenging to shape). Higher hydration equals more open crumb and more challenging handling.
How much starter should I use?
The levain typically contains 10-20% starter. A 200 g levain uses 20-40 g of ripe starter. More starter means faster fermentation; less starter means slower, more complex flavor development.
When should I use my levain?
When it is at peak activity. Usually 4-8 hours after feeding at room temperature (slower in cool kitchens, faster in warm). Signs: tripled in volume, domed top, smells sweet-yogurty, not sharp or vinegar-like. Float test: a spoonful should float in water.
How do I know when my dough is ready to bake?
The poke test: push a floured finger 1 cm deep. If the indentation fills back slowly, it is ready. If it springs back quickly, under-fermented. If it stays dented, over-fermented. For cold-fermented dough from the fridge, bake directly from cold. No need to warm up.
Can I bake sourdough with a Dutch oven?
Strongly recommended. A preheated Dutch oven (at 500F / 260C) traps steam for the first 20 minutes of baking, creating professional-level crust. Without it, home ovens struggle to produce the right crust. Uncover for the last 15-20 minutes to brown.
What is the difference between starter and levain?
Starter is the ongoing culture you maintain and feed regularly. Levain (also called leaven or poolish in related usage) is a specific batch built from your starter for a specific bake. You use the levain in your recipe; the starter continues to live in its jar, ready for the next bake.
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