Sourdough Calculator & Journal

Sourdough Calculator & Journal is a focused baking companion that takes the arithmetic, timing and record-keeping out of making reliable sourdough so you can concentrate on the oven. The app pairs a live baker's percentage engine with hydration and starter-build calculations, a simple starter manager with feeding logs and reminders, a timeline planner for multi-step bakes, recipe scaling and a photo journal to document progress. Sourdough Calculator & Journal is designed for home bakers who want predictable fermentation, accurate percentages and an uncluttered, offline workflow without account sign-in.

Key features and what they do

The core feature set centers on practical, hands-on tools rather than bells and whistles: a live baker's percentage calculator updates as you type so you can balance flour, water, salt and preferments; a hydration calculator accounts for water already present in your starter; a starter manager tracks feeding ratios, ambient temperature and a build calculator for making specified starter quantities. The timeline planner lets you place autolyse, mix, bulk ferment, shaping, cold proof and bake steps relative to a target finish time and runs timers for each stage. The app also includes recipe scaling that preserves baker's percentages, a photo bake journal for notes and images, and reliable local notifications for feeds and step timers.

Controls, workflow and interaction design

The app uses straightforward touch controls: numeric fields and sliders for ingredient amounts, tap-to-advance buttons on timeline steps, and a one-tap 'I just fed it' log for starters. Enter multiple flour types in the same calculation and the app distributes percentages automatically. Timers and countdowns live on a compact dashboard so you can glance at a bake in progress, and a single-step advancement moves you through mixing, bulk ferment and shaping without extra menus. Recipe and journal editors are kept simple so adding a photo, note or tag takes only a few seconds while your dough rests.

Calculations, learning curve and progression

At its heart the app removes manual computation: baker's percentages, starter builds and hydration math are handled for you, reducing calculation mistakes. As you use the app you'll naturally develop a progression in your baking — from understanding how different hydration ranges affect crumb to building a consistent starter schedule. The included example recipes help bridge beginner to intermediate skills, and the Pro unlock adds a full example library and unlimited journal entries so you can expand that progression into a larger personal recipe collection.

Recipe structure, customization and replay value

Recipes are structured around ingredient lists with baker's percentages plus step-based timelines. You can save custom mixes, combine flours, tag entries, and scale recipes to a target dough weight or number of loaves while preserving proportions. The photo bake journal provides replay value: each loaf entry stores photos, notes, tags and a star rating so you can iterate on a formula and compare results. Over time the app becomes a searchable archive of variations and troubleshooting notes rather than a one-off calculator.

Visual style, accessibility and user experience

The interface favors a clean, high-contrast design and readable typography so values and timers are easy to scan while you work with messy hands. Controls are large enough for quick taps and the app minimizes modal dialogs so you stay in the flow of a bake. For users with accessibility needs the layout emphasizes clarity and predictable navigation; text sizes, label placement and color contrast are chosen to reduce visual clutter and make critical numbers prominent.

Offline operation, privacy and known limitations

Sourdough Calculator & Journal operates entirely offline: no account sign-in, no cloud storage and no tracking, so your calculations and photos remain on your device unless you export them manually. That design means there is no automatic sync across devices. Several advanced features are gated behind a one-time Pro purchase — unlimited journal entries and photos, the extended recipe library, timeline planner and feeding notifications — and there is a small limitation in that the built-in example library is intentionally concise so users are encouraged to add or import their preferred recipes.

Who will benefit and how to get started

The app suits home bakers who want to move past guesswork toward repeatable results: if you are experimenting with hydration levels, refining starter maintenance, or planning complex multi-day bakes the calculator and timeline tools reduce friction. Start by creating or selecting a recipe, set your target finish time in the timeline, follow the step timers and log each bake with a photo and note. Sourdough Calculator & Journal helps turn loose processes into consistent habits while keeping your data private and available offline.