Free sourdough starter feeding calculator. Enter starter weight to find the flour and water you need for a 1 to 1 to 1 feeding.
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Enter your starter weight in grams. A 1 to 1 to 1 feeding adds the same weight of flour and water as the starter you keep. Discard down to the starter weight first, stir in the flour and water, mark the jar level, and leave the jar at room temperature until the starter doubles and domes at peak.
A 1 to 1 to 1 sourdough starter feeding ratio means one part starter, one part flour, and one part water by weight. Keeping 50 grams of starter and feeding 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water gives 150 grams of fed starter. This calculator uses that standard ratio, which suits a daily feeding rhythm at room temperature.
The feeding ratio is also a timing tool. A 1 to 1 to 1 feed peaks in about 4 to 8 hours at room temperature, a 1 to 2 to 2 feed peaks in about 6 to 10 hours, a 1 to 5 to 5 feed peaks in about 10 to 16 hours, and a 1 to 10 to 10 feed can take 14 to 24 hours. Higher ratios give the culture more food, so the rise slows down, which is ideal for an overnight feed before a morning bake.
Starter hydration percentage is water weight divided by flour weight times 100. A 100 percent hydration starter uses equal flour and water and feels like thick batter. Lower hydration starters near 65 to 80 percent feel firmer and rise more slowly, while 125 percent starters pour like batter and suit pancakes and waffles. Rye and whole wheat flours absorb more water, so they may need a little extra water.
Always discard before feeding: remove all but the starter weight you plan to keep, then add fresh flour and water. Without discarding, acidity builds up, yeast activity weakens, and the jar quickly grows unmanageable. Discard is not waste: sourdough discard recipes include pancakes, crackers, waffles, pizza dough, and flatbreads, since discard carries plenty of flavour.
At room temperature, feed every 12 to 24 hours, or twice a day in a warm kitchen above 24 degrees. In the fridge, feed about once a week: feed, let the jar bubble for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature, then return it to the fridge. The day before baking, pull the starter out and give it one or two room temperature feeds to wake it up.
Unbleached all purpose or bread flour is the most reliable everyday feeding flour, with bread flour giving a slightly more active culture. Whole wheat and rye ferment faster because the bran carries more wild yeast, which helps a sluggish starter, while bleached flour should be avoided since bleaching can inhibit the culture. Use room temperature, unchlorinated water where possible.
A starter is ready when it has at least doubled, shows bubbles throughout, and has a domed top that has not yet collapsed. The float test, dropping a spoonful in water to see if it floats, is a useful rough check but not proof on its own. Temperature changes everything: at 65 degrees Fahrenheit a 1 to 1 to 1 feed may take 10 hours to peak, while at 80 degrees it may peak in 3 to 4 hours.
Take 50 grams of starter. A 1 to 1 to 1 feeding adds 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water, giving 150 grams of fed starter. At room temperature near 72 degrees, expect a peak in about 4 to 8 hours, when the starter has doubled and the top is domed.
At 1 to 1 to 1, feed 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water, giving 150 grams of fed starter in total.
The ratio of starter to flour to water by weight. In 1 to 2 to 2, one part starter gets two parts flour and two parts water.
About 4 to 8 hours for 1 to 1 to 1 at room temperature, 6 to 10 hours for 1 to 2 to 2, and 10 to 16 hours for 1 to 5 to 5.
Discarding resets the microbe to food ratio, keeps acidity from building up, and stops the jar growing out of control.
About once a week. Feed, let it bubble for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature, then return it to the fridge.
Unbleached all purpose or bread flour for everyday feeding, with whole wheat or rye to speed up a sluggish starter. Avoid bleached flour.
It has doubled, shows bubbles throughout, has a domed top, and passes the float test as a rough check. Use it at or just before peak.
To fix a flat starter, feed it more often at 1 to 1 to 1, keep it warmer, and check the flour: bleached flour and cold kitchens are the usual culprits.
Bake pancakes, crackers, waffles, pizza dough, and flatbreads with it. Only discard it if it shows mould or pink contamination.