Rehydrating Sourdough

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How to revive your Dehydrated Sourdough Starter

Getting Started:

Note: If on city water, consider using filtered water for your sourdough starter. The chlorine in city water can kill the starter.

Note: Wild yeast prefers warmer temperatures. The ideal kitchen temperature is considered 72-76 degrees Fahrenheit. If your kitchen temperature is lower, it may take longer for your sourdough starter to be active again.

Day 1:

Combine 5 grams of dehydrated starter and 25 grams water in a glass jar. Stir until the starter is completely covered in water. Let sit for 5 minutes and stir again. Continue until the starter absorbs all of the water.

Next, add 20 grams of flour and stir well. Cover and let sit for 24 hours.

Day 2:

Take 10 grams of starter and move to a clean jar. Mix in 25 grams of water and 25 grams of flour. Stir until well combined. Cover and let sit for 24 hours.

Day 3:

At this point, the mixture will not look very lively. You may notice a few bubbles. It is otherwise thin and smooth. This is normal! The yeast is still reactivating from it's dried state.

Remove 10 grams of water and move to a clean jar. Then add 25 grams of water and 25 grams of flour. Stir until well combined. Cover and let sit for 24 hours.

Day 4:

There won't be much change from yesterday. Remove 10 grams of water and move to a clean jar. Then add 25 grams of water and 25 grams of flour. Stir until well combined. Cover and let sit for 24 hours.

After the first 12 hours, you should notice bubbles and and some growth! Continue letting it rest at room temperature for the remaining 12 hours.

Day 5:

Now you have an active starter! You'll see bubbles on the top and through the mixture as well. Congratulations! You've revived your dehydrated sourdough starter & you're ready to start baking.

What's needed:

Clean Jar with Lid

Basic Kitchen Scale

Dehydrated Sourdough Starter

Unbleached White Bread Flour

Room Temperature Water

Daily Feedings

Once your starter has been revived:

Sourdough starters are live organisms and they require maintenance (regular feedings) to survive. For best results, feed your starter daily!

We keep our starter in a glass jar with the lid on but not completely sealed. Each day, discard half of your starter, then feed the remaining amount (at least 30 grams) with 130 grams of water and 150 grams of unbleached white flour. The measurements don’t need to be exact, but shoot for a thick pancake mix consistency.

Discarding a portion of your sourdough starter is optional. There are tons of great discard recipes out there- some of our favorites being pancakes, waffles, and cookies. We’ve even added it to brownie batter and German Pancakes! Some people save the discard in a container in the fridge for this purpose, others throw it right in the garbage. We only feed our starter enough for what we are baking, plus a small amount to keep for next time. This way, we don’t have to discard anything. The majority gets added to recipes when it’s at it’s peak (that’s how we get our best bread results), and a small amount gets kept aside for future use.

A mature starter grows to 3-4x it’s starting size. The starter has reached it’s peak activity when it has grown to that 3-4x original size, just before it starts to deflate.

Storing Your Starter

If you’ll be out of town or busy for a week or two, your starter can be kept in the refrigerator. The cold temperature slows the growth of bacteria, which slows the rate of growth and needed frequency of feedings. Your starter can become dormant if left in the fridge for too long. If that happens, it may take a few extra feedings to return to it’s active state for successful sourdough baking.

If you aren’t baking regularly, you can keep the starter in the refrigerator. We’ve had good luck with weekly feedings when storing in the fridge regularly.

Whether you decide to store it in the cupboard, on the counter, or in the refrigerator, you may notice a layer of clear liquid on top at some point. The liquid can even be a grayish color if your starter hasn’t been fed in a long time. This liquid is called hooch! As the starter ferments, it creates alcohol which collects on top of the sourdough starter. It simply means your starter is hungry and ready to be fed! You can stir it in for a stronger sourdough flavor, or pour it off into the garbage for a less sour tasting bake.

How to revive your Dehydrated Sourdough Starter

Getting Started:

What's needed:

Daily Feedings

Once your starter has been revived:

Storing Your Starter

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