Question 1

How do I start using the calculator?

Accepted Answer

Enter your total dough weight, hydration percentage, starter percentage, and salt percentage. The calculator instantly returns exact flour, water, starter, and salt weights in grams or ounces. No signup or download required.

Question 2

What do the percentages mean in baker's math?

Accepted Answer

In baker's percentage, flour is always 100% and every other ingredient is expressed as a percent of flour weight. So 75% hydration means the recipe uses 75 g of water for every 100 g of flour; 2% salt means 2 g of salt per 100 g of flour.

Question 3

Can I save my favorite recipes?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The calculator lets you save named recipes to your browser’s local storage. You can load a saved recipe at any time to quickly recalculate or export it as a PDF.

Question 4

What is hydration and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

Hydration is the ratio of water to flour, expressed as a percentage. Higher hydration (80%+) produces a more open, airy crumb but is harder to handle. Lower hydration (65–70%) gives a tighter crumb that is easier for beginners. 70–75% is the standard artisan sourdough range.

Question 5

How much sourdough starter should I use?

Accepted Answer

Use 15–20% starter (as a percentage of flour) for a balanced 4–6 hour bulk fermentation at 75°F. Use 25–30% for faster ferments, or 10–15% for slow ferments that develop more sour flavor. Cold kitchens need slightly higher percentages.

Question 6

How does temperature affect sourdough fermentation time?

Accepted Answer

Yeast and lactic acid bacteria grow exponentially with temperature. A 10°F rise roughly halves fermentation time. As a rule of thumb, for every 2°F drop below 75°F add about 30 minutes to bulk fermentation; for every 2°F rise, subtract about 30 minutes.

Question 7

How do I know when bulk fermentation is done?

Accepted Answer

Bulk is ready when dough has risen 50–75% in volume, shows scattered surface bubbles, jiggles when the bowl is nudged, and a gently pressed finger leaves a dent that slowly fills partway. Over-fermented dough smells strongly alcoholic and collapses on touch.

Question 8

Does the calculator account for the flour and water in my starter?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Sourdough starter is roughly 50% flour and 50% water by weight (at 100% hydration). Our calculator automatically subtracts the flour and water contributed by the starter from the total, so the hydration percentage you enter reflects the true overall hydration of the final dough.

Question 9

What is the best flour for sourdough bread?

Accepted Answer

Bread flour with 11.5–12.7% protein is ideal for most sourdough loaves. The higher gluten content creates a stronger dough that traps gas better during fermentation. All-purpose flour works too but produces a slightly softer crumb. Whole wheat and rye flours add flavor and nutrition but absorb more water, so you may need to increase hydration by 5–10%.

Question 10

How often should I feed my sourdough starter?

Accepted Answer

If kept at room temperature, feed your starter once or twice daily using a 1:1:1 ratio (equal parts starter, flour, and water by weight). If refrigerated, feed once a week. Before baking, take the starter out of the fridge 12–24 hours ahead and give it one or two feeds until it doubles in 4–6 hours.

Question 11

Can I do an overnight cold retard for sourdough?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. After shaping, place the dough in a banneton, cover tightly, and refrigerate at 38–42°F for 8–16 hours. Cold retarding slows fermentation, develops a more complex tangy flavor, and makes scoring easier. Bake directly from the fridge — no need to warm up first.

Question 12

Can I switch between grams and ounces?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The calculator supports both metric (grams) and imperial (ounces) measurements. Use the unit toggle to switch instantly. All saved recipes remember which unit system you were using when you saved them.

Question 13

Why is my sourdough bread so dense?

Accepted Answer

Dense sourdough is usually caused by under-fermentation — the dough did not rise enough during bulk. Other common causes include a weak or immature starter that lacks gas-producing power, insufficient gluten development from too few stretch-and-folds, or shaping too aggressively which degasses the dough. Try extending bulk by 30–60 minutes and ensure your starter reliably doubles within 4–6 hours before using it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Using the Calculator

Sourdough Basics

Fermentation

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