How to make sourdough starter: from dehydrated flakes
So, you’re keen to make sourdough bread in the comfort of your kitchen? Well, my friend, you have come to the right place! If you want sourdough bread fast and don’t have time to attempt to make one from scratch, why not use dehydrated sourdough starter flakes to kickstart your sourdough journey?
Buy my dried sourdough flakes here!
All it takes is a little bit-a flour, water, time, and magic (aka wild yeast), and voilà you are one step closer to that amazing homemade sourdough bread the whole family can enjoy!
And by now I’m sure you’re thinking “Isn’t this cheating? Shouldn’t I just make my own?” Well yes, you could but you’re cutting your time in half with this whole process and the end product remains the same. We all live busy lives these days and I’m all for working smarter, not harder.
pin it for later 📌
What is a Sourdough Starter?
Before we delve into the activation process of your sourdough starter, let me explain what that involves for budding bakers.
A sourdough starter, or sourdough culture, is a fermented dough full of natural wild yeast and lactobacilli bacteria. It’s these properties that enable or help the bread to rise. It’s also what gives your bread that sour flavour. Think of your starter as a living thing; you can see it transform from a lumpy pancake mix to a bubbly, active mixture within a matter of hours.
Did you know?
All active starters are about 1-2 weeks old, no matter how long it has been fed. The flour (what type of wheat, which mill, etc), the water, the temperature it is kept at, and even the baker who maintains it will all modify the yeast and bacteria colonies over a short period.
So, unless you get the same flour, from the same mill. Use the same water and store it at the same temperature as the original, the entire culture will have changed in a couple of weeks. On top of that, different people have very different yeast and bacteria on their bodies which impacts their starter.
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale
- Glass Container / Mason Jar with Lid
- Spoon
- Rubber Band
Ingredients
- 1tbsp Dried Starter Flakes
- 5tbsp Room Temperature/Lukewarm water
- 5tbsp All-Purpose Flour /Bread Flour/Whole-Wheat Flour
Below is a complete guide to activating your dehydrated starter, and maintaining it. I have also added some FAQ’s.
How to activate your Sourdough Starter
- Fill a glass jar with 5 tablespoons of room-temperature/lukewarm water. Make sure it’s filtered to avoid any chlorine that’s present in tap water. I always use a mason jar to prevent any reactions with the sourdough starter.
- Add the dried sourdough starter flakes into the water and mix. Loosely cover your jar with the lid or some plastic wrap. Allow it to sit for several hours until the dry starter has completely rehydrated. The goal here is complete hydration: no dry bits.
- Once the sourdough starter flakes have fully hydrated, add 5 tablespoons of all-purpose flour/bread flour or whole-wheat flour to the mixture and combine. Cover your mason jar lightly with plastic wrap and make sure there is enough room for expansion. You can use a rubber band to track its progress.
- Leave it at room temperature for 24 hours until you observe small bubbles forming, although timing may vary depending on ambient temperature. If no signs of activity (AKA bubbles) are seen after this time, give it another small feed (30g flour & 30g water) and wait an additional 24 hours. This sometimes happens when there’s a fluctuation in temperature. It may seem like a long time however this is nothing compared to making it from scratch.
- The next morning your sourdough starter is now alive and kicking, WOOHOO! Before using it to make your sourdough bread, feed it once more to bolster its strength. Your sourdough starter should at least double in volume post-feeding, typically achieved through a 1:1 flour-to-water ratio.
For instance, I feed my starter 150 grams of flour and 150 grams of filtered water. I leave it outside on my patio (in summer or near my heater in winter), lightly covered, until I see a bubbly jar of sourdough starter joy! This can take anywhere between 6-8 hours. - Always make sure to discard a portion of the existing sourdough starter before feeding again. Leave about 3cm from the bottom of the mason jar.
Maintaining your Sourdough Starter
Some like to keep their starter on the benchtop and feed daily. Others store it in the fridge. When you’re deep in the sourdough world, the fridge is your friend. Don’t be scared of leaving it in there when life gets too busy. As long as you discard and feed once a week, your sourdough starter will live to see another loaf or 35 😉
Always remember: discard, feed, bake, feed, and pop back in the fridge.
Sourdough Starter FAQS
I have gathered some of the most commonly asked questions about sourdough starters, saving you the hassle of scouring the internet for answers.
Why do you discard a portion of the starter before feeding it?
Removing and discarding a portion of your sourdough starter helps to refresh the acidity levels and controls the overall growth in size.
Do I need to discard my sourdough starter and begin anew?
Only discard your sourdough starter if it shows signs of spoilage or mould growth. Otherwise, there’s no need to start again if the starter lacks activity. If your starter looks limp, take it out of the fridge, feed it, and leave it on the benchtop for a few hours at room temperature
You also don’t have to throw out your sourdough discard, there are tonnes of sourdough discard recipes that live in every corner of the internet. I’m developing a few of my own so watch this space.
How can I tell if my sourdough starter has gone bad?
Your eyes and nose will tell you pretty quickly if your starter has gone bad. If you see orange or pink streaks in the starter get your affairs in order and say BYE FELECIA 👋. If it smells foul or you see mold forming then it’s a strong NO from me. Time to start again from the top ⬆️
What is the dark liquid on the surface of my sourdough starter?
You may see brown liquid resting on top of your starter. This is entirely normal. All of those beneficial bacteria have created something known as “hooch,” which is a natural byproduct of fermentation, signalling that the starter needs to be fed. Some bakers say this is key to a better loaf however for me, the jury is still out on that one. You can pour off the hooch before stirring and replenishing your starter.
Are you ready to make your very own sourdough bread?
Check out my blog post: Sourdough Bread Recipe for Beginners.
Happy Baking!
How to make sourdough starter from dehydrated flakes
If you want sourdough bread fast and don’t have time to attempt to make a starter from scratch, why not use dehydrated starter flakes to kickstart your sourdough journey?
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp dehydrated sourdough flakes
- 5 tbsp water
- 5 tbsp flour
Instructions
- Fill a glass jar with 5 tablespoons of room-temperature water. Make sure it's filtered to avoid any chlorine that's present in tap water. I always use glass to prevent any reactions with the sourdough starter.
- Add the dried sourdough starter flakes into the water and mix. Loosely cover your jar with the lid or some plastic wrap. Allow it to sit for several hours until the flakes have completely rehydrated. The goal here is complete hydration: no dry bits.
- Once the sourdough starter flakes have fully hydrated, add 5 tablespoons of flour to the mixture and combine. Cover your jar lightly with plastic wrap and make sure there is enough room for expansion.
- Leave it at room temperature for 24 hours until you observe small bubbles forming, although timing may vary depending on ambient temperature. If no bubbles are seen after this time, give it another small feed (30g flour & 30g water) and wait an additional 24 hours. This sometimes happens when there's a fluctuation in temperature.
- Woohoo! Your sourdough starter is now alive and kicking. Before using it to make your sourdough bread, feed it once or twice more to bolster its strength. Your sourdough starter should at least double in volume post-feeding, typically achieved through a 1:1 flour-to-water ratio. For instance, I feed my starter 150 grams of flour and 150 grams of filtered water. I leave it outside on my patio (in summer or near my heater in winter), lightly covered, until I see it bubbling. This can take anywhere between 6-8 hours.
- Always make sure to discard a portion of the existing sourdough starter before feeding again. Leave about 3cm from the bottom of the jar.
Notes
Leave your starter somewhere warm. In summer it's fine to leave it outside (indirect light only), on your stovetop, the top of your fridge, or even inside your oven with the baking light on. Winter is a little more challenging however I always find placing it near your wood fire or a gas heater works just fine. Make sure it's a safe distance away.
