Sourdough Dough Weight Calculator

For an 8-inch round banneton (the most common size), 850–950g of dough is the right range. Under 800g and the loaf will not fill the banneton properly and may spread. Over 1,000g and it risks overflowing during proofing. For a 10-inch oval batard, 900–1,100g works well. For a 9×5-inch loaf pan, 800–900g is the typical range.

Most published recipes list total flour (including the flour inside the starter) as the base, then list the starter as a separate addition. This calculator separates the two clearly: the net amounts show what you add to the bowl on top of the starter, and the true totals show the full picture. If your recipe says "500g flour + 100g starter + 350g water," you can verify the true hydration by dividing total water (350g + 50g from starter) by total flour (500g + 50g from starter) = 400 ÷ 550 = 72.7%.

Inoculation is the weight of starter expressed as a percentage of the total flour weight. A 20% inoculation means 20g of starter for every 100g of flour — or 100g of starter for a recipe with 500g of flour. Higher inoculation speeds up fermentation (more active organisms working from the start); lower inoculation slows it down. Most home recipes use 15–25%, with higher percentages useful in cold kitchens and lower percentages useful in warm ones.

Yes — for a fixed total dough weight target, increasing hydration means less flour and more water (since the total is the same but the ratio shifts). The flour weight decreases slightly and the water weight increases. For a fixed flour weight, total dough weight increases as hydration increases. The calculator works from the total dough weight target, so it automatically adjusts all ingredients when you change hydration.

This calculator is designed for lean sourdough doughs — flour, water, starter, and salt only. Enriched doughs (those with butter, eggs, oil, or dairy) do not follow the same baker's percentage structure, because fats and eggs affect hydration in complex ways and contribute to dough weight without functioning like water. For enriched sourdough recipes, the percentages in this calculator will not give accurate results.