A feeding ratio is three numbers: starter : flour : water, by weight. The first is the starter you keep; the other two are the food you give it. The more food per gram of starter, the longer it takes to peak — so choosing a ratio is really choosing when you want your starter ready.
Feeding ratio chart
| Ratio | Example (starter + flour + water) | Approx. peak, 75–78°F | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:1:1 | 50 g + 50 g + 50 g | ~4–6 h | Same-day bake, tangier flavour; reviving a sluggish starter |
| 1:2:2 | 30 g + 60 g + 60 g | ~6–10 h | Once-a-day feeding; evening feed, morning bake |
| 1:5:5 | 10 g + 50 g + 50 g | ~8–14 h | Overnight levain; milder flavour |
| 1:10:10 | 10 g + 100 g + 100 g | ~16–24 h | Slowing it down before the fridge |
All four are 100% hydration starters — equal flour and water — so the ratio changes the timing, not how wet the starter is. Peak times are estimates at a warm room temperature: warmer is faster, cooler is slower, and a healthy starter beats any clock.
As a check, King Arthur Baking’s own feeding-ratio trial kept one starter at 78 °F: 1:1:1 peaked after about 4 hours, 1:2:2 after about 8 and 1:4:4 after about 12. Your starter will differ — that’s why the chart gives ranges.
Which ratio should you use?
- You bake today: 1:1:1. It peaks fastest, but needs feeding two or three times a day if you keep it going. More on 1:1:1.
- You feed once a day: 1:2:2. A forgiving window and a balanced flavour — the ratio most home bakers settle on. More on 1:2:2.
- You feed at night and bake in the morning: 1:5:5. Slow, mild and hands-off — but only from a healthy, active starter. More on 1:5:5.
- You’re putting it in the fridge: a big dilution such as 1:10:10 slows it right down first.
Work out the grams
The sourdough starter calculator turns any ratio into grams — forwards from the starter you keep, or backwards from the levain your recipe needs — and tells you how much to discard. For the whole routine, read how to feed a sourdough starter, and how to tell when it’s ready.
Sources and method: see our methodology and references.