Convert a yeast recipe to sourdough (and back)
Starter is flour and water, so adding it to a recipe means taking the same flour and water out. This does that bookkeeping for you.
New recipe
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How the conversion works
Yeast → sourdough. Use starter at 15–20% of the recipe’s flour, then subtract the flour and water it contains. A 100% hydration starter is half flour, half water, so 100 g of it means 50 g less flour and 50 g less water. Leave out the yeast, and expect the bulk rise to take roughly 3–4 times longer — rely on how the dough looks and feels, not the clock.
Sourdough → yeast. Fold the starter’s flour and water back into the recipe, then add instant yeast at about 1% of the total flour for a same-day dough or 0.3% for an overnight rest in the fridge. The bread will rise reliably but won’t taste sour.
Adding discard. Discard adds flavour, not a reliable rise — keep the recipe’s yeast or baking powder. Take its flour and water out of the recipe so the texture stays the same; more than about half the recipe’s flour in discard will change the result noticeably.
Results are estimates for home baking. Times depend on your starter and kitchen temperature. Don’t eat raw dough. Terms