What flavor does Liquid Starter (100% Hydration) produce?

balanced — fast activity profile. Peak feeding response varies by temperature; plan bake around starter peak.

Starter type

Liquid Starter (100% Hydration)

Q: How do I feed Liquid Starter (100% Hydration)?

Ratio 1:1:1 (starter:flour:water). Refrigerate after feeding; feed weekly with 1:5:5 ratio (1 part starter, 5 flour, 5 water by weight). Room-temp storage requires daily feeding.

Jar shows consistency at 100% hydration (liquid flat surface), bubble density from fast activity, and hue from the bread flour base. Peak rise marked on jar side.

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Hydration: 100%
Flour base: bread flour
Activity: fast
Flavor: balanced

About Liquid Starter (100% Hydration)

The standard liquid starter used by most home bakers and the default referenced in most sourdough recipes. Equal weights of flour and water produce a pourable paste. Fast activity — typically peaks in 4-8 hours after feeding at 76°F. Balanced flavor: mild tang that matures with age. Reliable, forgiving, easy to maintain. Default choice unless a recipe specifies otherwise.

Feeding ratio: 1:1:1

Refrigerate after feeding; feed weekly with 1:5:5 ratio (1 part starter, 5 flour, 5 water by weight). Room-temp storage requires daily feeding.

Feed calculator

Use the selector below to set the feed ratio (default 1:5:5 for weekly refrigerator maintenance). Adjust current and target weights.

Current starter(g)

Target after feed(g)

Feed ratio(S:F:W)

Keep (mature starter): 27.3 g
Add flour: 136.4 g
Add water: 136.4 g
Discard: 22.7 g
Total after feed: 300 g

Flour spec: bread flour — the base flour that defines this starter's flavor
Starter discount math — how much flour + water your starter contributes to the dough
Levain build from starter — preferments built off this starter for individual bakes
Guide: starter discount math explained — why the calculator subtracts levain weight from your scaled flour
Autolyse before adding starter — 30-60 min flour + water rest improves extensibility and reduces mix time
All 5 starter types — side-by-side: liquid 100%, stiff 50%, rye 100%, whole-wheat 100%, GF rice

The gear that makes the math work

A short, honest baking kit. The scale matters most — every weight on this page is in grams. The Dutch oven is what turns a good crumb into a great crust.

Digital kitchen scale (0.1 g)
Baker's percentage is by weight, not volume — a 0.1 g scale is what makes the math on this page accurate.
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Dutch oven / combo cooker
Traps steam for the first bake phase — the single biggest factor in oven spring and a blistered, glossy crust.
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Banneton proofing basket
Wicks moisture and holds shape during the final proof, so high-hydration dough doesn't spread flat.
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Bread lame + bench scraper
A sharp lame scores clean ears; a steel bench scraper handles wet, sticky dough without tearing the gluten.
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High-protein bread flour
The math assumes ~12–14% protein. Real bread flour absorbs the hydration you calculate — all-purpose won't.
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Danish dough whisk
Mixes shaggy, high-hydration dough in seconds without the gluey mess of a spoon or your hands.
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🎧 Or learn the craft by ear

The numbers here are the what; a good baking book is the why. An Audible trial gets you any title free — Michael Pollan’s Cooked(the “Air” chapter is the best story ever told about why bread rises) is a perfect first listen.

Start a free Audible trial →

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Gear guides — what actually matters

About Liquid Starter (100% Hydration)

Feeding ratio: 1:1:1

Feed calculator

Related references on this site

The gear that makes the math work