Sourdough · Feeding Calculator
Set your starter ratio and final target weight to calculate exact seed starter, flour, and water amounts for your next feed — plus how much to discard.
Feeding ratio
1 : 5 : 5
Ratio is always starter : flour : water by weight. Higher ratios slow the peak — change it live in the calculator below.
Live calculator · updates as you type
Feed with
Discard or use 101.8 g before feeding so you keep only the seed starter needed for this build. Discard is great for pancakes, crackers, and pizza dough.
Feeding ratio reference — at warm room temperature
Timing depends on starter strength, flour type, and kitchen temperature. Use rise, bubbles, and aroma as your final signal.
Results use baker's percentages. Divide your target starter weight by the total ratio parts, then multiply by each part to get seed starter, flour, and water grams.
Starter feeding guide
Feeding ratio controls how quickly your starter peaks and how acidic it gets before the next feed. Use the calculator above for exact grams, then use this guide to match ratio choice to your schedule.
Best for short intervals and frequent bake-day feeding at room temperature.
A common daily range for stable growth with moderate acidity buildup.
Longer feeding windows and slower acid accumulation before peak.
Divide your target starter weight by the total ratio parts, then multiply by each part to get seed starter, flour, and water grams. For 200g at 1:5:5 (11 parts): each part is ~18g, so 18g seed, 91g flour, 91g water.
Enter how much mature starter you currently have, then choose your target starter weight after feeding. Select a ratio preset like 1:1:1 or 1:5:5, or type a custom ratio to match your process.
The calculator gives the exact grams to keep as seed starter, flour to add, and water to add. It also shows how much to discard before feeding so your jar stays on plan.
Higher feeding ratios give yeast and bacteria more fresh food, which usually delays peak and keeps acidity lower for longer. Lower ratios peak faster and can become more acidic sooner.
A 1:1:1 feed is fast and practical for frequent daily baking. Ratios like 1:3:3 or 1:5:5 are common when you want a longer interval between feeds or stronger growth before mixing dough.
Timing always depends on starter strength, flour type, and kitchen temperature. Use rise, bubbles, and aroma as your final signal.
Get the complete Sourdough Baking Playbook — starter ratios, hydration, levain builds, bulk timing, and discard in one printable reference.
Quick answers on starter feeding ratios, discard amounts, and timing.
A 1:1:1 feed means equal parts starter, flour, and water by weight. If you keep 30g starter, feed 30g flour and 30g water.
A 1:5:5 feed slows acid buildup and gives your starter a larger food supply. It is useful before long room-temperature ferments or when you want a milder starter.
Keep only the seed amount required by your target ratio and final weight. The rest can be discarded or used in discard recipes.
For a 100% hydration starter they match by weight. You can also use different flour and water parts to run stiffer or looser starter builds.
There is no single best ratio — it depends on your schedule and kitchen temperature. 1:1:1 is the default for daily counter maintenance and peaks fast (3–5 hours). 1:2:2 or 1:3:3 buys more time and suits a once-a-day feed. 1:5:5 is best before a long ferment or in a warm kitchen, since the larger food supply slows acid buildup and pushes the peak out to 10–14 hours.
A starter kept at room temperature needs feeding once or twice a day, depending on ratio and warmth. A starter stored in the fridge only needs feeding about once a week. Feed more often (or at a higher ratio) in a warm kitchen, because heat speeds fermentation and the culture runs through its food faster.
Always by weight. Cups of flour vary enormously depending on how packed they are, so volume feeds give inconsistent ratios and unpredictable peak times. A cheap digital scale in grams is the single best tool for a reliable starter — set the ratio you want and the numbers stay consistent every feed.
Feed at a higher ratio — 1:5:5 or even 1:10:10. Giving the culture much more flour and water relative to the existing starter means it takes far longer to consume the food and peak, so you can stretch the gap between feeds or hold it closer to bake time without it going over. Cooler storage slows it further.