Sourdough Starter Feeding Calculator
Weigh your starter and pick a feeding ratio: 1:1:1 for daily maintenance, 1:2:2 to build up for baking, 1:5:5 for the slow fridge rhythm. The calculator gives the flour and water to add, the jar total, and how much discard the feed implies.
Starter guides drown beginners in lore. The grammar is equal parts by weight: feed it its own weight in flour and water and it doubles in four to six hours warm. The calculator also prices the parts nobody explains - the acetone smell is hunger not death, and the discard jar is a feature that pays for the flour.
How to use
- Weigh the starter that stays in the jar - that number drives everything.
- Pick the ratio for your rhythm: daily, building, or fridge-slack.
- Mark the jar after feeding; the rise line tells you the truth.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best sourdough starter feeding ratio?
1:1:1 (starter, flour, water by weight) for a daily room-temperature rhythm, 1:2:2 when building up for a bake, and 1:5:5 for fridge storage - the small-spoon-big-feed trick that buys two or three quiet days.
How much flour and water do I feed my starter?
Exactly as much flour as starter, and the same again in water, at 1:1:1 - 100 g of starter takes 100 g of each and lands at 300 g. The calculator scales it to whatever is actually in your jar.
Why does my starter smell like acetone?
It is starving, not dying: the acetone note and the liquid on top are hunger signals. Feed it promptly and it forgives completely - the starter that is truly beyond saving is the one with fuzzy mould, not the one that smells like a nail salon.
What do I do with sourdough discard?
Keep a jar in the fridge and spend it: pancakes, crackers, waffles and focaccia all take unfed starter happily. The discard is the difference between feeding a hobby and composting money - the calculator shows exactly how much each feed creates.