Sourdough Recipe Scaler: Scale Any Recipe Up or Down
Scaling a recipe means multiplying every ingredient by the same number. Do that and the baker's percentages stay exactly the same, so the dough has the same hydration, the same salt level and the same amount of starter. Only the size changes.
The rule
new amount = old amount × scale factor, with the same factor for every ingredient.
- By loaves: factor = loaves you want ÷ loaves the recipe makes.
- By dough weight: factor = target dough weight ÷ the recipe's total weight.
Worked example
A recipe with 500 g flour, 350 g water, 100 g starter and 10 g salt (960 g of dough) that makes one loaf. These amounts are examples.
For three loaves: factor = 3 ÷ 1 = 3, so 1,500 g flour, 1,050 g water, 300 g starter and 30 g salt (2,880 g of dough).
For a target of 2,000 g of dough: factor = 2,000 ÷ 960 = 2.083, so 1,041.7 g flour, 729.2 g water, 208.3 g starter and 20.8 g salt.
The percentages do not move. Water is 350 ÷ 500 = 70% of the flour in both versions.
What scaling does not change
Scaling keeps the ratios, not the timing. A dough three times as large holds heat differently, and the time to ferment depends on temperature and your starter, not just the amount. Use your own times from the last bake in the schedule calculator. If you want to check the true hydration after changing the starter, use the hydration calculator.
Sources
- Baker's percentage arithmetic: every ingredient is a fixed percent of the flour, so multiplying all weights by one factor keeps all percentages. All numbers above are computed with it.