Dehydrated Sourdough Starter Instructions

Activation

Day 1 - 2: 

• Place your starter flakes (15 grams) in a large glass jar with a tight fitting lid.

• Add 45 grams (about 1/4 cup) water. 

• Stir and seal the lid tightly.

• Let sit for about 48 hours until dissolved.

• Tip: The water and the starter may separate, this is normal; swish the jar now and then to mix it back up.

Day 3

• Add 60 grams (about 1/2 cup) of all purpose flour and 60 grams (about 1/4 cup) of room temperature water.

• Stir well, place the lid on top of the jar (do not tighten) and let sit.

Day 4

• Your starter should be bubbly! 

• If it is not bubbly, repeat day 3 again before moving on.

• Discard (throw away) 120 grams (about 3/4 cup) into the trash.

• DO NOT put sourdough starter / discard down your drain, you will have plumbing issues.

• To the remaining starter (60 grams / about 1/2 cup) add 60 grams (about 1/2 cup) of all purpose flour and 60 grams (about 1/4 cup) of room temperature water.

• Stir well, place the lid on top of the jar (do not tighten), mark the height of the starter, and let sit.

• I just use a permanent marker to mark on the outside of the jar but you can use rubber bands, hair ties, anything that will remind you of how much starter was originally in the jar after you mixed it all together.

After Day 4 your starter should be doubling in size (should take about 6 - 12 hours depending on temperature and humidity in your house), if it has not doubled in size repeat Day 4 until it has doubled in 6-12 hours. Once it has started doubling within 6 - 12 hours you are ready to bake (see recipe below)!

Maintaining Your Starter

After your starter is doubling in size after 6 - 12 hours after feeding, you’ll need to continue to feed to keep it active, you will want to discard and feed every 12 - 24 hours, here is how I maintain my starter:

• Discard all but 30 grams of starter.

• Remember: DO NOT put discard down your drain! 

• You can either keep the discard in a container with a tight fitting lid in the fridge and use it to make Sourdough Discard recipes (there are a ton out there) or toss it in the trash.

• Feed your starter at a 1:5:5 ratio

• This means, for every 1 gram of starter, add 5 grams of flour, and 5 grams of water

• In this case you will add 150 grams of flour and 150 grams of room temperature water

• Stir and place lid on top of jar (do not tighten)

• Make sure your jar is big enough too contain the starter as it expands

Tips:

• In order to keep the amount of discard to a minimum you can always start with less starter.

• I have maintained my starter with just 5 grams of starter from time to time.

• You can also use different feeding ratios to keep discard to a minimum.

• I prefer 1:5:5 but you can use ratios such as 1:2:2, 1:3:3, or any ratio that works for you.

• If you plan to bake with your starter more than once a week, I would suggest maintaining a small amount of starter on the countertop and feeding it every 12 - 24 hours.

• Move your starter to a new jar once a week.

• To clean the old jar (since we are not putting sourdough down the drain, don’t forget!) scrape out as much as you can and wipe the jar with a damp paper towel and a little bit of dish soap to get anything you are not able to scrape out. Repeat wiping until sourdough remains are gone, then wash normally.

• If you plan to bake with your starter once a week or less, I would suggest storing your starter in the fridge and taking it out 24 - 36 hours before you are ready to start prepping your dough (see below on storage instructions).

Storing Your Starter

Storing your starter is a great option if you are planning to bake with it once a week or less, going on vacation, or just need a break, here is how I store my starter and reactivate it when I am ready to bake again:

• Feed your starter like normal (see above) in a container with a tight fitting like (e.g., mason jar).

• Once you have fed your starter, tighten the lid and store it in the fridge.

• Take the starter out once a week, loosen the lid and bring to room temperature. Discard and feed again to keep it healthy and allow any gas that has built up to escape the jar. 

• Tighten the lid and put it back in the fridge immediately after feeding.

• Once you are ready to start baking again pull your starter out, loosen the lid and let come to room temperature and feed your normal ratio.

• After about 12 hours, discard and feed again. 

• Repeat as necessary until your starter is doubling in size after 6 - 12 hours

• I usually have to do one to two feedings to wake it up before it starts doubling again.

Baking With Your Starter

Once your starter is doubling (or more) in size after 6 - 12 hours you are ready to bake! 

Makes 1 loaf

227 grams active starter (at least doubled in size and bubbly)

325 grams bread flour

200 grams warm water (between 100 - 110 degrees)

8 grams salt

• Mix starter and water together until dissolved. Add flour and mix until shaggy dough forms.

• Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 20 minutes.

• After resting, add salt and perform slap and folds on a clean work surface for about 5 minutes until dough becomes smooth.

• Place back in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap and rest for 30-45 minutes.

• Perform your first set of stretch and folds (wet hands, grab a portion of your dough along the edge, pull up, and fold over, rotate the bowl a quarter of turn and repeat three more times, until a full rotation has occurred).

• Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 30-45 minutes.

• Perform a second set of stretch and folds.

• Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 30-45 minutes.

• Perform the last set of stretch and folds.

• Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 6 - 9 hours until doubled in size and pulls away from the sides of the bowl without sticking.

• Turn dough onto the work surface and form into a ball and let rest on the counter for 30 minutes.

• Place into a bowl lined with a clean towel, cover with plastic, and place in the fridge overnight. 

• Preheat the oven to 425, put dough into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper and score the top.

• Bake covered for 30 minutes, remove cover and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

• Remove and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

• Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before cutting.

• Enjoy!