Our approach

A little clarity before the next loaf.

Sourdough Bench is an educational site for understanding sourdough quantities: how much flour and water are in a dough, what a starter contributes, and how to build enough starter while keeping some back.

The calculators do the arithmetic. The guides explain the terms, assumptions, and choices behind it. Together, they help you plan a bake and understand a recipe more clearly.

Show the working

We count the flour and water inside the starter, state which percentage a field means, and distinguish a mathematical result from a baking recommendation. Our examples are illustrations, not claims of personally tested loaves.

Sources, with their limits

The material draws on published baking references. We do not present this site as a record of personal baking experience or professional baking credentials. Flour, starter condition, temperature, and handling can change a result in ways a calculator cannot predict.

Read the editorial policy for our source and example standards, see the editorial responsibility page, or start with the calculators.