Sourdough timeline calculator
Plan your bake to the clock. Tell us when you want the loaf cooled and ready, or when you're starting the dough — we'll work out exact times for feeding starter, mixing, bulk, cold proof, preheat and bake.
Your plan
Sunday, Jun 7 → Monday, Jun 8
Total elapsed time 26h 10m · 3h 20m hands-on
- Sun 14:50
Feed your starter
6h · waitFeed your starter at a 1:1:1 ratio by weight (equal parts starter, flour, water). At normal room temperature (around 21°C), it'll take about 6 hours to peak. You want it domed and full of bubbles when you mix. About 1 minute of work, then wait.
- Sun 20:50
Mix flour + water (autolyse)
30 min · waitCombine all the flour with most of the water (hold back ~20g) until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest while the flour absorbs the water and gluten begins to form on its own. About 5 minutes of mixing, then leave alone.
- Sun 21:20
Add starter and salt
10 min · hands-onPour your active starter on top of the dough, sprinkle the salt over it, and add the remaining water. Pinch and fold until everything is evenly incorporated. Bulk fermentation starts now.
- Sun 21:30
Stretch and folds (×4 every 30 min)
2h · hands-onDuring the first two hours of bulk, do a set of stretch and folds every 30 minutes. Wet your hand, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up and over to the other side, rotate the bowl a quarter turn, repeat 3 more times. After the fourth set, leave the dough alone.
- Sun 23:30
Continue bulk fermentation
2h 30m · waitLeave the dough covered at room temperature. It is done when it has risen by 50–75%, looks smooth and domed, and shows bubbles on the surface and sides of the bowl.
- Mon 02:00
Pre-shape, bench rest, final shape
25 min · hands-onTip dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pre-shape into a loose ball. Rest 10 minutes uncovered. Final-shape into a tight boule or batard with surface tension, and place seam-side up in a banneton or tea-towel-lined bowl.
- Mon 02:25
Cold proof in the fridge
12h · waitCover and refrigerate. Overnight is the standard home-baker option — flavour develops without being aggressive. The cold also firms the dough up, which makes scoring much easier.
- Mon 14:25
Preheat oven and Dutch oven
50 min · waitSet oven to 250°C (480°F) with your Dutch oven (lid on) inside. The pot needs to be properly hot before the dough goes in, so don't skimp on this. Turn it on and walk away.
- Mon 15:15
Score and bake
45 min · hands-onTurn the cold dough onto a piece of parchment, score the top with a sharp blade or lame at about 30°, and lower it into the hot Dutch oven. Bake covered for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and bake another 20–25 minutes until the crust is deeply browned.
- Mon 16:00
Cool fully before slicing
1h · waitTransfer to a wire rack and cool for at least an hour — two if you can wait. The crumb continues setting as it cools. Cutting too early gives a gummy slice.
Timings are heuristics — watch the dough, not just the clock. A starter that's slow to peak, or a kitchen colder than its thermometer says, will both push everything later. The common mistakes guide has more on reading what the dough is doing.
How the timings work
Sourdough timing is not really one schedule but a family of schedules that shift with three variables: temperature, hydration and flour type. The calculator uses simple, well-tested multipliers for each:
- Kitchen temperature is the biggest lever. Cold kitchens slow fermentation roughly proportional to the temperature drop. A 4°C drop from 22°C to 18°C extends bulk by about 50%.
- Flour type changes fermentation speed because wholemeal flour carries more wild yeast and enzymatic activity. Wholemeal-heavy doughs ferment 15–20% faster than pure white.
- Hydration has a smaller effect on time, but higher-hydration doughs benefit from longer autolyse and slightly longer bulk to develop strength.
The numbers below are heuristics, not laws of physics. Always watch the dough: a starter that takes longer to peak, a kitchen warmer than its thermometer reads, or a particularly active wholemeal flour can all shift things. See the common mistakes guide for what to look for at each stage.
Want exact ingredient weights too?
The sourdough recipe calculator gives you the flour, water, starter and salt to the gram for any loaf size and hydration. Use it for the quantities, this page for the schedule.
- Sourdough for beginners — the full process explained
- Classic white sourdough recipe — a baseline 800g loaf
- Sourdough hydration guide — what hydration band to pick
- Feeding a sourdough starter — how to time the feed