A 1:1:1 sourdough starter feeding ratio means equal weights of starter, flour and water, such as 50 g of each. The numbers always go in that order: starter, then flour, then water. King Arthur Baking treats 1:1:1 as the minimum feed for a healthy starter, and bigger ratios like 1:2:2 or 1:4:4 simply give the same starter more food, so it takes longer to peak.
| Ratio | Starter | Flour | Water | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:1:1 | 20 g | 20 g | 20 g | 60 g |
| 1:2:2 | 20 g | 40 g | 40 g | 100 g |
| 1:4:4 | 20 g | 80 g | 80 g | 180 g |
| 1:5:5 | 20 g | 100 g | 100 g | 220 g |
| 1:10:10 | 20 g | 200 g | 200 g | 420 g |
How to pick a sourdough starter feeding ratio
Think of the ratio as a timer. The more fresh flour and water you add per gram of starter, the longer the yeast and bacteria take to work through it. King Arthur Baking tested this side by side with starters held at about 78°F:
- 1:1:1 (60 g of each) doubled and was ready to bake with at about 4 hours. They say a healthy starter at that temperature usually peaks in 4 to 6 hours.
- 1:2:2 (36 g starter, 72 g flour, 72 g water) peaked at about 8 hours.
- 1:4:4 (20 g starter, 80 g flour, 80 g water) fully doubled at about 12 hours.
So pick the ratio that fits your day. If you want to bake this afternoon, 1:1:1 in the morning works. If you want the starter ready when you wake up, a bigger feed like 1:4:4 or 1:5:5 the night before stretches the timing. King Arthur Baking notes that very high ratios like 1:8:8 or 1:10:10 can stretch things far enough that you only feed once a day.
Why grams beat cups for feeding
Ratios only work if they're by weight. King Arthur Baking counts a cup of flour as about 120 g and a cup of water as about 226 g. If you fed with one cup of each, you'd be adding nearly twice as much water as flour by weight, and your starter would turn soupy fast.
That's also why a 1:1:1 starter is called a 100 percent hydration starter: equal grams of flour and water. If you use it in a recipe, it adds half its weight in flour and half in water.
A simple daily routine in grams
King Arthur Baking's own starter recipe keeps it small:
- Weigh out 50 g of starter and discard the rest (or bake with it).
- Add 50 g of water and 50 g of all purpose flour.
- Stir well, cover, and leave it at room temperature for about 12 hours.
- Repeat twice a day while it lives on the counter.
When a recipe needs more starter, build up to it. King Arthur Baking uses a recipe that calls for 180 g of starter as its example: 36 g of starter fed 1:2:2 with 72 g of flour and 72 g of water gives exactly 180 g. Build a few grams extra so you're not scraping the jar.
What else changes how fast it peaks
The ratio isn't the only dial. Temperature is a big one, and King Arthur Baking's timings were at about 78°F, so a cooler kitchen will run slower. Every starter is also a little different, so watch yours. When it has roughly doubled, looks domed and bubbly, and smells pleasantly sour, it's ready. If it has risen and fallen back, it's past its peak but often still usable.
Small amounts are where weighing pays off. Scooping 20 g of starter or 36 g of flour is quick with a MeasureMate digital measuring spoon: it scoops and weighs in one step, reads in 0.1 g steps, and the tare button zeroes the reading between ingredients. The removable spoon head makes cleanup after sticky starter easier, too.
Quick questions
Is 1:1:1 by weight or by volume?
By weight. Volume ratios don't work because a cup of water weighs almost twice what a cup of flour does.
Can I feed my starter 1:5:5?
Yes. It sits between the 1:4:4 and 1:8:8 feeds King Arthur Baking describes, so expect it to take longer to peak than 1:4:4. It's handy for an overnight feed.
How much starter should I keep?
Only what you need for the next feed. King Arthur Baking keeps 50 g, which keeps flour use low and the math easy.
Weights based on King Arthur Baking's sourdough feeding ratio test, sourdough starter recipe and ingredient weight chart.