Start with the weight before baking
Use the amount of dough you want to divide at the bench. A baked loaf weighs less because it loses moisture during baking. If a recipe gives only a baked weight, total the weights of the ingredients that actually go into the dough. Count only the levain used in the dough, and leave out bench flour, basket flour and the starter reserve.
Scale factor = target dough weight ÷ original dough weight.
New ingredient weight = original ingredient weight × scale factor.
Worked example from one loaf to two
| Ingredient | Original | Scaled to 0.1 g | Whole-gram plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flour | 500 g | 885.4 g | 885 g |
| Water | 350 g | 619.8 g | 620 g |
| Starter | 100 g | 177.1 g | 177 g |
| Salt | 10 g | 17.7 g | 18 g |
| Total | 960 g | 1,700.0 g | 1,700 g |
Use the full factor during calculation. Round only when you decide what to weigh. In this example both rounding plans sum to the target. If your individual rounded lines leave a one-gram difference, note it or apply a small adjustment to a larger ingredient. Avoid putting the entire correction into a small salt or yeast quantity. Check the mixed dough after bowl losses and divide it into two equal portions by weight. [1]
If you need to build a levain, calculate the amount the scaled dough uses and then plan the build and reserve. A 177 g starter line means the dough needs 177 g of starter at the same hydration and ripeness. It does not tell you how much should stay in the mother jar. The small starter guide covers that separate calculation.
Batch size can move the schedule
A bigger batch needs enough space in the mixing bowl and bulk tub. If you use a mixer, check its dough capacity. The extra dough can cool or warm at a different rate, so check the actual dough temperature and watch the recipe’s bulk cues. Doubling dough weight gives you more dough. The recipe’s clock does not double with it. [3] [4]
Decide how the loaves fit in the oven. If you have one covered vessel, plan separate oven appointments and a supported way to hold the second loaf. The two-loaf schedule shows where to put the recovery time and when to check each loaf.
Crispy Crust’s planned recipe scaler would let you set the number of loaves and target dough weight, then retain the original formula alongside the scaled version. That would make it easier to check that a changed gram weight came from the scale factor.
Check a small batch before rounding
Scaling the same 960 g formula down to 480 g gives 250 g flour, 175 g water, 50 g starter and 5 g salt. Smaller batches can make a scale’s resolution more noticeable, especially for salt. If the scale cannot reliably show a small quantity, use one with an appropriate resolution or make a batch size you can weigh. If you need a whole number of portions, calculate the target total first so you can weigh each one consistently.
Check the sourdough hydration calculator to include the flour and water in your starter without counting them twice.