Sourdough Calculator

A free sourdough bread calculator that uses baker's math to design and scale recipes — no more mental math in the kitchen.

What does this sourdough calculator do?

This sourdough bread calculator helps you design and scale recipes by adjusting hydration, starter percentage, and dough weight. Whether you're baking at home or preparing for orders, this dough calculator ensures consistent fermentation and predictable results.

Who is this for?

Our sourdough hydration calculator is built for:

  • Home bakers improving consistency
  • Bakers scaling production
  • Small baking businesses

What is hydration?

Hydration is the weight of water as a percentage of the weight of flour. A 70% hydration dough has 700g of water for every 1000g of flour. Lower hydration (60–65%) gives a tighter, easier-to-handle crumb; higher hydration (75–85%) gives a more open, airy crumb but stickier dough.

How much starter do I use?

Starter (or levain) is usually 10–20% of the flour weight. More starter ferments the dough faster; less starter ferments slower and develops more flavour. Warmer kitchens need less starter, cooler kitchens need more — this calculator factors your room temperature into the suggestion.

What are baker's percentages?

Baker's math expresses every ingredient as a percentage of the total flour, which is always 100%. A classic loaf might be 100% flour, 70% water, 20% starter, and 2% salt. Because everything is relative to flour, you can scale a recipe to any number of loaves without changing the ratios.

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter the number of loaves you want to bake
  2. Set the dough weight per loaf
  3. Set the room temperature
  4. Choose your flours and their ratios
  5. Adjust hydration and starter %
  6. Get an instant ingredient breakdown

Frequently asked questions

Is this sourdough calculator free?

Yes — the calculator is completely free to use, with no account required. Create a free account only if you want to save your recipes.

Can it also work as a bulk fermentation calculator?

Yes. By tracking hydration, starter percentage and room temperature together, it estimates fermentation and proofing times, so it doubles as a bulk fermentation calculator.

Can I scale a recipe to more loaves?

Absolutely — set the loaf count and the calculator scales every ingredient using baker's percentages, keeping your ratios identical no matter the batch size.