Bake ReplanBake Replan / Levain calculator
Levain calculator: how much to build tonight
For 20 country loaves of 900 g with 20% levain, the doughs use 1,864 g of levain. Keep 50 g back for next time and build 1,914 g tonight at 1:5:5: 174 g of starter, 870 g of flour and 870 g of water.
- Build tonight
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- Heat the oven at
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The plan for this example. Change the orders above, or the formulas below.
Night before: the levain
Oven loads
Mixes
The numbers, worked
- Dough: 20 × 900 g = 18,000 g, plus 2% for waste = 18,360 g.
- Flour: the formula adds to 197% (85 + 15 + 75 + 20 + 2), so the flour is 18,360 g × 100 ÷ 197 = 9,320 g.
- Levain in the dough: 20% of 9,320 g = 1,864 g.
- Build: 1,864 g + 50 g kept back = 1,914 g.
- Feed at 1:5:5 (11 parts): starter 1,914 g ÷ 11 = 174 g, and flour and water 5 parts each, 870 g.
The plan uses only the numbers you give it. It does no fermentation timing and gives no food-safety advice.
Questions
What does 1:5:5 mean?
One part ripe starter to five parts flour and five parts water, by weight. Change the parts under "Your levain feed" to your own ratio, such as 1:2:2 or 1:10:10.
Why build more than the dough needs?
So some is left to keep your starter going. The "Keep back" amount is added to the build. Set it to 0 if you keep your starter separately.
Does it work with a stiff levain?
Yes. A stiff levain is just a different feed, for example 1:5:2.5. The weights to mix tonight follow your parts.
How long should the levain ripen?
The planner doesn't say: that depends on your starter, flour and temperature. It gives the weights; you keep your own timing.
Change the example
Formulas are in baker's percentages: the flours add to 100% and every other line is a share of the flour. Changes on this page are kept in this browser, apart from your plan on the full planner.