Convert 60g Sourdough Starter (100% Hydration) to Commercial Yeast
How to remove 60g of 100% hydration levain from any sourdough recipe by restoring +30g flour and +30g water.
Think of the swap as a bookkeeping exercise, not a recipe change. 60g of 100% levain is not 60g of nothing — it is 30g of flour and 30g of water that you are about to delete. Put them back, and the dough returns to 480g flour and 345g water at 71.9% hydration, now leavened by 6.7g of instant yeast for a 1.5 – 2.0 hours warm bulk rise.
- Add Back Flour
- +30gReplaces flour inside 60g (100%) starter
- Add Back Water
- +30gReplaces water inside 60g (100%) starter
- Instant Yeast (2-Hr Rise)
- 6.7g (2.2 tsp)For 480g total flour batch
- Preserved Hydration
- 71.9%345g W / 480g F
Sourdough-to-Yeast Conversion Table: 60g at 100% Hydration
The restoration column shows the flour and water that must go back into the main mix to keep the 71.9% hydration intact.
| Proofing Plan | Instant Dry Yeast | Active Dry Yeast | Fresh Compressed Yeast | Dough Restoration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Same-Day (1.5–2 hrs) — 60g (100%) [Exact Target] | IDY 6.7g / 2.2 tsp | ADY 8.4g / 2.7 tsp | fresh 20.2g | restore 30g + 30g |
| Slow Artisan Bulk (3.5–4.5 hrs) — 70g (100%) Alt Row A | IDY 3.4g / 1.1 tsp | ADY 4.2g / 1.4 tsp | fresh 10.2g | restore 35g + 35g |
| Overnight No-Knead / Cold Proof (12–18 hrs) — 50g (100%) Alt Row B | IDY 1.2g / 0.4 tsp | ADY 1.5g / 0.5 tsp | fresh 3.6g | restore 25g + 25g |
| Standard Same-Day (1.5–2 hrs) — 80g (100%) Alt Row C | IDY 6.9g / 2.2 tsp | ADY 8.6g / 2.8 tsp | fresh 20.6g | restore 40g + 40g |
| Slow Artisan Bulk (3.5–4.5 hrs) — 40g (100%) Alt Row D | IDY 3.3g / 1.1 tsp | ADY 4.1g / 1.3 tsp | fresh 9.9g | restore 20g + 20g |
On-Bench Hydration & Fermentation Adjuster
Modify base flour mass, levain inoculation, or ambient kitchen temperature below to recalculate from this +30g baseline.
Decomposing 60g of 100% Hydration Starter: Flour + Water Conservation
The hydration of the original starter is the single biggest variable in this conversion. At 100% the 60g carries 30g of flour; at 50% the same weight would carry 40g, which is a completely different deduction and a completely different dough.
Crust colour is a tell. A levain dough browns more slowly because its sugars are already partly consumed, so a converted dough reaches a deeper, faster colour at the same temperature and often benefits from a slightly cooler oven.
Step-by-Step Reverse Conversion Protocol (60g @ 100%)
- Restore Base Ingredients (+30g F / +30g W): Add 30g flour and 30g water to your main dough (480g F / 345g W).
- Select Yeast Inoculation by Schedule: Weigh 6.7g (2.2 tsp) Instant Yeast for a 90–120 min rise, or scale down for a 4-hour artisan bulk.
- Mix & Proof Directly: Combine all 480g flour, 345g water, yeast, and salt without a pre-ferment build.
- Bake on Schedule: Shape once, proof for the remaining time, and bake the moment the dough has doubled rather than waiting for the slow souring a levain would deliver.
Common Scaling & Troubleshooting Questions (+30g)
Can I convert a dough that also contains a poolish or preferment?
Yes, but count the preferment's yeast separately and subtract it from the 6.7g, otherwise the 480g dough will over-proof.
How much instant yeast replaces 60 grams of 100% sourdough starter?
For a standard 1.5–2 hour rise on a 480g total flour loaf, use 6.7g (2.2 tsp) of Instant Dry Yeast and add back 30g flour + 30g water.
Can I use fresh cake yeast instead of dry yeast for the 60g starter swap?
Yes, but fresh compressed yeast is only about a third as potent per gram, so you need roughly 20.1g instead of 6.7g.