Calculate precise ingredient amounts for sourdough bread using baker's percentages. Perfect for home bakers working with sourdough starter.
Total flour in final dough (including starter)
Sourdough baking uses baker's percentages where flour is always 100%, and all other ingredients are expressed as a percentage of the total flour weight. This includes the flour and water in your starter, making calculations more complex than regular bread recipes.
The key to sourdough calculations is accounting for the flour and water in your starter. If you use 200g of 100% hydration starter (equal parts flour and water), you're actually adding 100g flour and 100g water to your dough. This must be subtracted from your additional flour and water amounts.
Example: For a 1000g total flour dough at 75% hydration using 20% starter (200g at 100% hydration):
Long fermentation (12-24 hours). Develops complex flavor, requires active starter and cool environment. Best for overnight bulk fermentation.
Standard fermentation (6-12 hours). Balanced flavor development, most common for home baking. Works well with room temperature fermentation.
Quick fermentation (3-6 hours). Less sour flavor, good for same-day baking. Useful when you need bread quickly or have a weak starter.
Hydration percentage dramatically affects your dough's handling and final bread texture. Higher hydration creates more open crumb but is stickier to work with.
While 100% hydration (equal flour and water) is most common, some bakers maintain stiff or liquid starters:
A typical sourdough bread schedule with 20% starter at room temperature (70-75°F):
Common issues and solutions: