Simple Sourdough Calculator

What is Baker's math or Baker's percentages?

Baker's math helps to adjust the quantities of your ingredients in bread baking. The flour in your recipe will always be 100% and all the other ingredients weights will be a percentage of the total flour weight. I based the calculator on the following percentages to make it easy for the home baker to bake a perfect Sourdough.

How much Starter do I use?

I use a 100% hydration starter as the rule of thumb in my calculations. In my kitchen I use between 20-25% starter when baking a sourdough. The amount of starter you use depends on the fermentation speed you want and the temperature of your kitchen.

The amount of starter is usually between 10% - 50%, you can use the slider to play around and make notes of what works best in your kitchen. The calculator is set to 25% starter of the flour.

What is hydration percentage?

Hydration percentage is the ratio of water to flour in your dough, expressed as a percentage. For example, if you have 1000g flour and 670g water, your hydration is 67%. Higher hydration creates a more open crumb structure but can be harder to handle, while lower hydration creates a tighter crumb but is easier to shape.

Why is salt always 2% of flour weight?

Salt serves multiple purposes in bread making: it strengthens gluten structure, controls fermentation speed, and enhances flavor. The standard 2% ratio (based on flour weight) provides optimal taste and texture without being too salty or affecting the dough's development negatively.

How do I calculate my sourdough hydration?

Divide the weight of water by the weight of flour, then multiply by 100. For example, 700g of water and 1000g of flour gives a 70% hydration dough.

What is the best hydration rate for sourdough?

Most loaves fall between 65% and 75% hydration. Lower levels are easier to handle, while higher hydration creates a more open crumb but requires more experience.

Is 75% hydration sourdough hard to work with?

A 75% hydration dough is fairly wet and sticky. It can produce great texture but may be challenging without good folding and shaping technique.

Is 60% hydration too low for sourdough bread?

60% hydration yields a firmer, drier dough that's easy to shape and results in a tighter crumb. It's not too low, but the bread will be denser than higher hydration loaves.