When to use this calculator
Accounting for starter flour prevents omitting some of the flour when calculating a final dough’s total hydration.
Explore the baking & dough calculators for other questions in this topic. For a related calculation, use the Batch Selling Price Calculator: Find batch selling revenue needed to reach a chosen gross margin on entered batch costs.
PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE
Sourdough Starter Flour: a worked example
The values below are an illustrative example, not a recommendation. Replace them with measurements or assumptions that match your question.
| Input | Example value |
|---|---|
| Starter mass (g) | 200 |
| Starter hydration (%) | 100 |
| Result | 100 g |
- Check the input labels and enter the example values above.
- Apply the relationship: Starter flour = starter mass/(1 + hydration/100).
- The result is 100 g, rounded for display.
How to interpret your result
Assumes starter consists of flour and water only, with hydration measured as water mass/flour mass.
Baker’s percentages use flour as their denominator. Include the flour and water already present in a starter when calculating a whole dough. Scaling a pan recipe by area assumes similar batter depth.
Frequently asked questions
Why can baker’s percentages total more than 100%?
Flour alone is defined as 100%. All other ingredient percentages are measured relative to that flour mass.
When is the sourdough starter flour calculator useful?
Accounting for starter flour prevents omitting some of the flour when calculating a final dough’s total hydration.
How do I use the sourdough starter flour calculator?
Enter starter mass (g), starter hydration (%). The result updates automatically. Use the units shown beside each input; the example values illustrate the method.
Which formula does this calculator use?
Starter flour = starter mass/(1 + hydration/100).
What should I check before using the result?
Assumes starter consists of flour and water only, with hydration measured as water mass/flour mass.
How are results rounded?
Scalar numbers display up to six decimal places, with scientific notation for very large or small values. Text, fraction, date and schedule outputs use the format described on the tool. Intermediate calculations use JavaScript floating-point arithmetic. Keep sensible precision for your measurements.
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