I started baking sourdough during lockdown like everyone else. Unlike everyone else, I apparently couldn't eyeball "about 3 cups of flour" without ending up with a brick.
So I built 10 free baking tools that run entirely in your browser — no app, no account, no data collected. They cover conversions, recipe scaling, sourdough math, cost calculations, and more.
Conversions That Actually Account for Density
The number one problem in baking: a cup of flour and a cup of sugar don't weigh the same. Most online converters ignore this. Mine doesn't.
Baking Conversion Calculator — converts between cups, grams, ounces, tablespoons, and teaspoons for 25+ ingredients. Each ingredient uses its actual density, so 1 cup of all-purpose flour correctly converts to 120g (not 128g or 140g like some sites claim). Quick buttons for common amounts like 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup.
Butter Measurement Converter — because American recipes use "sticks" and European recipes use grams and everyone is confused. Enter any amount in sticks, cups, tablespoons, grams, or ounces, and see all conversions instantly. Also includes a substitute guide (coconut oil ratio, applesauce for reduced fat) and calorie info.
Recipe Scaling Without the Math
Doubling a recipe sounds easy until you're staring at "2/3 cup times 1.5" at 7 AM.
Recipe Scaler Calculator — enter your ingredients, pick a scale factor (1/2x, 2/3x, 2x, 3x, or custom), and get perfectly scaled amounts. The smart part: it displays results as practical fractions (1/3 cup, not 0.333 cups). Comes with 5 preset recipes to try immediately.
Pan Size Converter — your recipe calls for a 9-inch round pan but you only have an 8-inch square. This tool calculates the volume of both pans, gives you the scaling factor, and adjusts your baking time. Supports round, square, rectangle, bundt, loaf, springform, and muffin pans.
Sourdough Tools
Sourdough baking is basically applied math. Hydration percentages, feeding ratios, fermentation timing — it's a lot to track mentally.
Sourdough Hydration Calculator — enter your flour, water, starter amount, and starter hydration, and it calculates your true dough hydration (accounting for the flour and water in your starter, which most recipes don't mention). Visual hydration meter shows where you fall: 62% for bagels, 73% for country loaf, 80% for focaccia. Includes a reverse calculator — enter your target hydration and total flour to get the exact water amount.
Sourdough Starter Calculator — plan your feeding schedule. Enter how much starter your recipe needs, your current amount, and your feeding ratio (1:1:1 through 1:5:5). It calculates how much flour and water to add, how much to discard, and the total after feeding. The schedule planner works backward from your desired bake time, accounting for room temperature. If you need to build up from a small amount, the multi-feed planner shows you step by step.
Substitutions and Cost
Egg Substitution Calculator — not just "use applesauce." This tool asks what role the egg plays in your recipe (binding, leavening, moisture, richness) and your dietary preference, then ranks 10 substitutes by effectiveness for that specific use case. Each option shows exact amounts, prep instructions, and taste impact. A flax egg works great for binding in cookies but terribly for leavening in angel food cake — this tool knows the difference.
Yeast Conversion Calculator — converts between active dry, instant, fresh cake yeast, and sourdough starter. Also tells you the proofing method for each type (active dry needs warm water activation, instant goes straight into flour). Includes a quick reference table showing all conversions at once.
Baking Cost Calculator — if you're selling baked goods (or just curious), this calculates cost per batch and cost per serving from your ingredient prices. Has 15 pre-filled common ingredients. Enter your desired profit margin and it suggests a selling price. Also compares homemade vs. store-bought cost — spoiler: homemade is almost always cheaper per unit, but your time isn't free.
Timing
- Bread Proofing Timer — a two-stage timer (bulk fermentation → final proof) with presets for 8 bread types. The key feature: it adjusts timing based on your room temperature. At 75°F your white bread bulk ferments in 2 hours. At 65°F it's closer to 3.5 hours. Includes stretch-and-fold reminders at 30-minute intervals and a poke test guide to know when your dough is ready.
Why Browser-Based?
All 10 tools run 100% client-side. No login, no data sent anywhere, no app to install. They work on your phone — useful when you're standing in a flour-covered kitchen trying to remember if a stick of butter is 8 tablespoons or 4.
(It's 8.)
All baking tools are at tool.teamzlab.com/baking.
If you bake bread, start with the hydration calculator. If you bake anything else, start with the conversion calculator. Both will save you from the brick stage faster than I got there.
Originally published at https://tool.teamzlab.com
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