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Levain Calculator

Tell it how much levain your recipe needs and how you like to feed. You get the exact starter, flour and water to mix, plus a little extra so you're not scraping the jar.

Some always sticks to the jar and spoon.

Whole grain feeds usually ferment faster.

Feed ratio: starter : flour : water

Starter

Flour

Water

MixWeight
Ripe starter44 g
Flour88 g
Water88 g
Levain built220 g

This levain is 100% hydration. Enter that as the starter hydration in the sourdough calculatorso the dough's total hydration comes out right.

How the levain calculator works

A feed ratio is a recipe in parts. Add the parts up, divide the levain you need by that total, and multiply by each part. For 200 g of levain at 1:2:2 plus a 10% margin, you build 220 g: 44 g starter, 88 g flour and 88 g water.

Choosing a ratio for your schedule

The ratio is the main lever on timing. A small amount of starter in a lot of fresh flour takes longer to become active, so higher ratios suit an overnight build and lower ratios suit a morning build you'll use the same day. Temperature matters as much as the ratio: the same feed peaks noticeably faster in a warm kitchen than a cool one, so the first time you try a ratio, check on it every hour or two and note how long it took.

Feeding with whole grain flour

Rye and whole wheat give the culture more to eat and usually make a levain rise faster and taste more sour. Enter a share of whole grain and the calculator splits the flour for you.

Stiff and liquid levains

Most home bakers keep a 100% hydration levain (equal flour and water). A stiffer levain, for example 1:5:4 at 80% hydration, ferments a little more slowly and is easier to judge by eye. Whatever you choose, enter the result as the starter hydration in the sourdough calculatorso the dough's numbers stay right.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between a starter and a levain?

Your starter is the culture you keep and feed. A levain is a batch you build from it for one bake, sized to what the recipe needs, so you don't use up the starter itself. Many recipes use the words interchangeably.

What does a 1:5:5 feeding ratio mean?

One part ripe starter to five parts flour and five parts water, by weight. 20 g starter, 100 g flour and 100 g water is 1:5:5. The bigger the flour and water parts are compared with the starter, the longer the levain takes to peak.

Which ratio should I use?

Pick the ratio by how long you want to wait. A 1:1:1 feed peaks soonest; 1:5:5 or 1:10:10 slows things down enough to build a levain overnight. Warm kitchens speed everything up and cool ones slow it down, so watch the levain rather than the clock: it's ready when it has risen, domed or just started to fall, and smells pleasantly sour.

Why add extra for the jar?

Some levain always stays stuck to the jar and spoon. A margin of around 10% means you can still weigh out the full amount the recipe asks for.

What hydration is my levain?

Water parts divided by flour parts. 1:5:5 is 100% hydration; 1:5:4 is 80%. Use that number as the starter hydration in the sourdough calculator so your dough comes out at the hydration you planned.

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