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CalcChef

Sourdough Scheduler

Pick a bake date and time to get clock times for the levain feed, autolyse, bulk, shaping and proof, with editable step lengths and a fridge proof. How it works

Use the Sourdough Scheduler

Pick a bake date to see the schedule.

Adjust the timing for your kitchen (hours)

A warm kitchen shortens the rise and a cool one lengthens it; set the hours to what your dough needs. The defaults are the fixed times this tool has always used.

Feed levain at
Pick a bake date

About the Sourdough Scheduler

Start 12.5 hours before the loaf goes into the oven. For a 6:00 PM bake, feed the levain at 5:30 AM, autolyse at 9:30 AM, start bulk fermentation at 10:30 AM, shape at 2:30 PM, begin the final proof at 3:00 PM and bake at 6:00 PM. Those are the default lengths; change the levain, bulk or proof hours, or switch to a fridge proof, and the earlier steps move with them.

Sourdough schedule for common bake times

Bake atFeed levainAutolyseBulk fermentationShapeFinal proof
8:00 AM7:30 PM (day before)11:30 PM (day before)12:30 AM4:30 AM5:00 AM
12:00 PM11:30 PM (day before)3:30 AM4:30 AM8:30 AM9:00 AM
4:00 PM3:30 AM7:30 AM8:30 AM12:30 PM1:00 PM
6:00 PM5:30 AM9:30 AM10:30 AM2:30 PM3:00 PM
8:00 PM7:30 AM11:30 AM12:30 PM4:30 PM5:00 PM

Each time is when the step starts. On the night the clocks change for daylight saving, steps before the change read an hour off on the clock, because the scheduler counts real elapsed hours.

Step offsets and durations

StepStarts before the bakeDuration on its card
Feed levain12.5 hours4-6 hrs
Autolyse8.5 hours30-60 min
Bulk fermentation7.5 hours4-5 hrs
Shape loaves3.5 hours20 min
Final proof3 hours2-4 hrs
Bake0 hours45-60 min

How to use this tool

  1. Pick the bake date: the date the loaf goes into the oven.
  2. Set the bake time. It starts at 6:00 PM.
  3. Adjust the levain, bulk and proof hours for your kitchen, or tick the fridge proof for an overnight rise.
  4. Read the levain feed time at the top and the full timeline below it, with each step's duration and what to do.

Frequently asked questions

When should I feed my starter to bake sourdough at 6 PM?
At 5:30 AM the same day, 12.5 hours before. The levain gets 4 hours before the autolyse at 9:30 AM.
Can I bake sourdough in the morning with this schedule?
Yes. With the default room-temperature proof the plan runs through the night: an 8:00 AM bake means feeding the levain at 7:30 PM the evening before and folding the dough from 12:30 AM. Tick the fridge proof instead: with 12 hours in the fridge, a 9:00 AM bake means feeding the levain at 11:30 AM the day before, shaping at 8:30 PM and baking straight from the fridge.
How long is bulk fermentation in this schedule?
4 hours, from 7.5 to 3.5 hours before the bake, with stretch and folds every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours. The card says 4 to 5 hours, so a slow dough may need longer than its slot: go by how much the dough has risen, not the clock.
Does the schedule change with kitchen temperature?
Not by itself: the tool has no temperature factor. A warm kitchen speeds the dough up and a cool one slows it, so set the levain, bulk and proof hours to what your dough needs. 6 hours of bulk instead of 4 moves the levain feed for a 6:00 PM bake from 5:30 AM to 3:30 AM.
What temperature does it say to bake at?
The bake card says 450°F with steam for 45 to 60 minutes. The tool gives times, not an oven profile, so follow your recipe if it says otherwise.

Planning a sourdough bake backwards

With the default lengths, the plan from feeding the levain to taking the loaf into the oven takes 12.5 hours, so a 6:00 PM bake means a 5:30 AM start. Pick the date and time the loaf goes into the oven, and the schedule fills in. For a bake at 6:00 PM on Saturday 13 March 2027 it lists: feed levain 5:30 AM, autolyse 9:30 AM, bulk fermentation 10:30 AM, shape 2:30 PM, final proof 3:00 PM, bake 6:00 PM.

A warm kitchen speeds the dough up and a cool one slows it, so set the levain, bulk and proof hours to what your dough needs; every earlier step moves with them.

For a morning bake, tick the fridge proof. With its default 12 hours the loaf is shaped 12.5 hours before baking, so a 9:00 AM bake means feeding the levain at 11:30 AM the day before and shaping at 8:30 PM.

How the times are set

Each step is counted back from the bake time: step time = bake time − hours before. With the default lengths (levain 4 hours, bulk 4, proof 3) the offsets are:

  • Feed levain: 12.5 hours before

  • Autolyse: 8.5 hours

  • Bulk fermentation: 7.5 hours

  • Shape: 3.5 hours

  • Final proof: 3 hours

  • Bake: at the time you chose (the card notes 450°F with steam, 45 to 60 minutes)

The tool applies no temperature factor of its own, because room temperature, starter strength, hydration and flour are what set fermentation speed. Instead you edit the levain, bulk and proof lengths, and the steps before them move back: 6 hours of bulk moves the levain feed for a 6:00 PM bake to 3:30 AM. Shaping (30 minutes) and the gap after the autolyse (1 hour) stay fixed. Go by the dough's rise rather than the clock. Times use your device's time zone in 12-hour format. Nothing is saved.

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