What ratio peaks fastest?

1:1:1 at room temp peaks in 3-6 hours. 1:5:5 takes 8-12. 1:10:10 takes 12-24.

Hydration of starter?

"100% hydration" means equal flour + water by weight. Sticky paste consistency. Some bakers use 60% (stiff starter) for more flavor.

Can I use kitchen scraps as discard?

Yes — discard makes pancakes, crackers, waffles. Add 1 tsp baking powder to compensate for inactive starter.

How do I know it's ready to bake with?

Doubled in volume, domed top, light bubbles throughout. Float test: drop a teaspoon in water — should float.

Sourdough Starter Feeding Calculator

X:Y:Z ratio starter:flour:water. Standard 1:1:1 for daily; 1:5:5 for slower fridge schedule.

Result

After feed

75.0 g total

1:1:1 starter:flour:water using 25.0 g starter.

Starting starter25.0 g
Discard down tono discard
Add flour25.0 g
Add water25.0 g
Total after feed75.0 g
Ratio1:1:1

Step-by-step

Base starter (after discard) = 25.0 g.
Flour = base × (rf/rs) = 25.0 × 1.00 = 25.0 g.
Water = base × (rw/rs) = 25.0 × 1.00 = 25.0 g.
Total = base + flour + water = 75.0 g.

How to use this calculator

Weigh current starter.
Pick ratio (1:1:1 daily, 1:2:2 or 1:5:5 for fridge).
Toggle discard if you don't want exponential growth.
Mix to ratio; let rise 4-12 hours depending on ratio + temperature.

About this calculator

Sourdough feeding ratios express starter:flour:water by weight. 1:1:1 is the daily-counter standard: equal-mass starter, flour, and water, doubling the starter mass. 1:5:5 is the fridge / slow schedule — less existing starter, more new food, longer time to peak. Higher flour:starter ratios delay peak (more food to consume) and produce a stronger flavor. Discarding before feeding controls the size — without discard, your starter doubles every feed, which gets unwieldy fast.