Sourdough starter feeding calculator

A 1:5:5 feed means one part starter to five of flour and five of water. Bigger ratios ferment slower and taste milder.

Flour to add
136.4g
= Exact Sourdough starter feeding
Water to add
136.4
Starter to keep as the seed
27.3
Starter to discard or bake with
122.7
Resulting starter hydration
100.0 %
Most you could make from what you have
1650
Show the working
  1. Starter you want at the end = 300
  2. Flour parts = 5
  3. Water parts = 5
  4. Starter you currently have = 150
  5. parts = 1 + 5 + 5 = 11
  6. Starter to keep as the seed = 300 / 11 = 27.2727
  7. Flour to add = 27.2727 * 5 = 136.364
  8. Water to add = 27.2727 * 5 = 136.364
  9. Starter to discard or bake with = max(150 - 27.2727, 0) = 122.727
  10. Resulting starter hydration = 5 > 0 ? 5 / 5 * 100 : 0 = 100
  11. Most you could make from what you have = 150 * 11 = 1650

Values are shown to six significant figures here; the arithmetic itself runs on exact fractions and is only rounded where a number is printed.

Scenarios & local history

Compare a saved scenario

Recent calculations

    The formula

    • total parts = 1 + flour parts + water parts
    • seed = target weight / total parts

    A larger feed ratio takes longer to peak, which is how bakers time a levain to be ready when they are.

    Related calculators

    Settings

    Theme

    System follows your operating system and changes with it.

    Text size
    High contrast

    Maximises text and border contrast and removes the grid background.

    Graph-paper background

    Round to
    Notation
    Thousands separators
    Decimal mark
    Nearest fraction

    Shows the result as the nearest tape-measure fraction, with the error it costs.


    Accessibility & interaction
    Reduce motion Stops interface animations even when the operating system does not.
    Underline links Keeps links visually distinct without relying on colour.
    Larger touch targets Makes buttons and form controls easier to tap.
    Shorter reading lines Limits article width for easier scanning.
    Monochrome display Removes colour as an information cue.
    Always-visible focus Makes the keyboard focus ring persistent and stronger.
    Verbose screen-reader results Announces the complete conversion equation.
    Sticky action bars Keeps converter and calculator actions within reach.
    Select values on focus Replaces a value immediately when you start typing.
    Left-handed mobile layout Moves key mobile actions toward the left thumb.

    Your data

    Settings, recent conversions and favourites live in this browser only. Nothing is sent anywhere.

    Offline library