Sourdough Baking Calculator
Calculate your sourdough bread formula — total water, starter weight, salt, bassinage, and levain build ratios — all in baker's percentages.
Dough Formula
| Ingredient | Weight (g) | Baker's % |
|---|---|---|
| Total Flour (all sources) | 500g | 100% |
| ↳ Bassine Flour | 450g | 90% |
| ↳ Flour in Starter | 50g | 10% |
| Total Water | 375g | 75% |
| ↳ Bassine Water | 325g | 65% |
| ↳ Water in Starter | 50g | 10% |
| Starter / Levain | 100g | 20% |
| Salt | 10g | 2% |
| Total Dough Weight | 885g | 177% |
Levain Build Calculator
Ratio (starter:flour:water)
1:5:5
Levain Hydration
100%
Total Levain
110g
Standard Sourdough Ratios
1
Flour is 100%: All water, starter, and salt are calculated relative to total flour weight.
2
70–75% Hydration Sweet Spot: Ideal for beginners. Produces good open crumb without being overly wet or difficult to shape.
3
2% Salt is Standard: Essential for gluten structure and enzymatic regulation. At 500g flour, 2% equals exactly 10g salt.
Bassinage Technique: Hold back 5–10% of recipe water during initial autolyse, then slowly knead it in along with the salt. This produces stronger gluten at high hydrations.
Sourdough Hydration Guide
| Hydration | Dough Type | Texture | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60–65% | Stiff | Dense, smooth | Bagels, stiff rye, einkorn |
| 70–75% | Moderate | Workable, tacky | Country loaves, sandwich bread |
| 78–82% | High | Sticky, extensible | Open crumb loaves, baguettes |
| 85%+ | Very High | Wet, slack | Ciabatta, focaccia, pan loaves |
Typical Sourdough Timing (at ~78°F / 25°C)
- Levain build: 4–6 hours (ripe when domed, bubbly, and floating in water)
- Autolyse: 30–60 minutes (optional; improves gluten development)
- Bulk fermentation: 4–6 hours with folds every 30 min for first 2 hours
- Cold retard: 8–18 hours in the refrigerator (optional; develops flavor)
- Bake: 20 min covered at 500°F (260°C) + 20–25 min uncovered at 475°F (245°C)
Temperature is the biggest variable in sourdough. Warmer kitchens ferment faster. Track dough temperature (target 76–78°F / 24–26°C) and adjust bulk time by feel — look for 50–75% volume increase and jiggling looseness in the bowl.
For general bread formula conversion and scaling, see the Baker's Percentage Calculator. If your recipe needs measurement conversion, start at the Baking Calculator.