A sourdough schedule calculator that fits your day
Sourdough is slow and forgiving, but it does not care about your job. This sourdough schedule calculator estimates how long bulk fermentation and the final proof will take from the two things that matter most, dough temperature and how much starter you use, then lays the whole bake out on a clock: when to feed the starter, mix, fold, shape, preheat and bake. Mark the hours you are at work or asleep and it flags any hands-on step that lands in them.
It also works as a bread proofing time calculator for yeasted dough. Switch to commercial yeast, enter the percentage of instant, active dry or fresh yeast, and it estimates the first and second rise. Start from one of the example plans, a weekday 9-to-5 loaf, a weekend morning bake or a same-day yeasted loaf, and adjust from there.
How to use the Sourdough Schedule & Proofing Time Calculator
- Pick an example plan or choose sourdough starter or commercial yeast.
- Enter the starter or yeast as a percentage of the flour and the dough temperature (measure it with a probe thermometer after mixing).
- Choose a fridge or room-temperature final proof, then whether to plan from the bake time or the start time.
- Tick and adjust your work and sleep hours; clashing steps are marked in the timeline.
- Optional: open Calibrate to your own dough and enter a bulk time you have measured, so every estimate scales from your kitchen.
Sourdough Schedule & Proofing Time Calculator features
Temperature-based timing
Every degree changes fermentation speed; the planner scales bulk and proof times with dough temperature.
Starter or yeast amount
More starter or yeast means a faster rise; less gives a slower, more flexible schedule.
Back-timing
Plan backwards from when you want the loaf out of the oven, or forwards from when you can start.
Work and sleep check
Hands-on steps such as feeding, folds, shaping and baking are checked against your busy hours.
Calibration
Replace the built-in reference with your own measured bulk time.
How the proofing time is estimated
The model is deliberately simple and labelled approximate. Fermentation speed is taken to grow with the square of the dough temperature above about 3 °C, a common way to describe microbial growth, so dough at 21 °C ferments roughly 1.4 times slower than at 24 °C, and at 27 °C about 1.3 times faster. The amount of leaven scales time by its ratio to the reference raised to a small power: 0.4 for sourdough starter and 0.7 for yeast. The built-in reference is 5 hours of bulk for 20 % starter at 24 °C, and a 1.5-hour first rise for 1 % instant yeast at 24 °C.
A room-temperature final proof is taken as 40 % of the bulk time for sourdough and 60 % of the first rise for yeasted dough. A cold proof is whatever you choose, because fermentation almost stops at fridge temperature; 8 to 16 hours is typical for sourdough.
Example: a sourdough schedule for a 9-to-5 day
Feed the starter 1:10:10 before work at about 6:45 am, so it peaks in the evening. Mix at 5:40 pm, do four sets of folds before 8 pm, shape at 10:40 pm and put the loaf in the fridge. Preheat at 6:15 am and bake at 7:00 am, and the bread cools while you get ready. If your kitchen is cooler than 24 °C, the bulk runs later; use more starter, warmer water or a warm spot such as an oven with only the light on.
Reading the dough, not the clock
- Bulk is done when the dough has grown by roughly half to three-quarters, has a domed top, wobbles when shaken and shows bubbles at the sides and surface.
- Proof is done when a floured fingertip leaves a dent that springs back slowly; if it springs back at once, wait.
- Over-fermented dough is slack, sour and tears easily; next time shorten the bulk or cool the dough.
- For hydration and ingredient weights use the baker’s percentage calculator; to swap yeast types, the yeast conversion calculator.
Sourdough Schedule & Proofing Time Calculator FAQ
How long should sourdough bulk ferment?
Typically 4 to 8 hours at 21 to 27 °C with 15 to 25 % starter. At 24 °C with 20 % starter the planner estimates about 5 hours; cooler dough or less starter takes longer.
How do I fit sourdough around a 9-to-5 job?
Feed the starter slowly in the morning, mix after work, shape before bed, proof in the fridge overnight and bake before work. The weekday example plan does exactly that.
How long can sourdough proof in the fridge?
Usually 8 to 16 hours, and many doughs cope with 24 to 48 hours. Very long cold proofs make the bread more sour and can weaken the dough.
How long does bread take to rise?
A yeasted dough with about 1 % instant yeast doubles in roughly 1½ hours at 24 °C (75 °F), and its second rise takes about 45 minutes to an hour.
Does dough temperature really matter that much?
Yes. A change of 3 °C can move bulk fermentation by an hour or more, which is why the planner asks for dough temperature rather than room temperature.
Is this proofing time calculator exact?
No. It is an approximate model for planning. Flour, starter strength, salt and hydration all change the speed, so watch the dough and calibrate the planner with your own times.