We've been caring for our starter as if it were our own child. In fact our son asks if he has to feed "Tilly" when we go out of town. That being said, I always keep some discard in the fridge and some dehydrated starter in the pantry. You never know when you're going to push your whole jar of starter over the island counter and need a backup (true story). Hence, dehydrating some on a regular basis.

We sell our dehydrated starter for $10 for anyone who wants to tip their toes in the sourdough pond, or on occasion to those cottage baker friends who also push their starter over the counter.

Hydrating Your Starter:

Day 1: In the jar provided, measure out and combine 1 ½ teaspoons dehydrated starter and 1 tablespoon room temperature BOTTLED spring water, and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon UNBLEACHED bread flour, place the inner lid on top, but don't screw the outer top on (just set it aside), and let the starter sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

Note: Store the starter you didn't use in Ziploc bag or food safe envelope in case you need to make another batch at a later date. Our typical jar contains enough for three batches.

Day 2: Add in another 1 tablespoon of flour and 2 teaspoons of spring water. Cover and let sit another 24 hours.

Day 3: Add in another tablespoon of flour and 1 teaspoon of water. Cover and let sit overnight. You should begin to see spongy bubbles by now, if not, repeat Day 3 again.

Day 4 (before bed): Transfer your starter to a larger jar (I recommend a wide mouth mason jar for beginners not baking more than 2 loaves at a time) and stir in 1/3 cup flour and 1/4 cup of spring water (give or take a tablespoon or so - you're looking for a thick pancake batter consistency). Mark the level on the jar with a dry erase marker or band. Cover your jar lightly without screwing the cap on. The starter will produce added air in the jar and without a way for the air to escape... well you can guess what happens.

Day 5 (morning): By the next morning you should be able to see that your starter has doubled (and maybe started going down again). "Feed" your starter 1/3 cup flour to 1/4 cup spring water every 12 hours or so until you have enough in the jar to begin baking.

Continued Maintenance:

Now that you have an active starter, well you have to name her or him! Join all the other sourdough bakers who have birthed a starter baby and give that baby a name!

Store unused starter in the fridge if you aren't baking every day. Take it out the night before baking and feed it the amount of flour and water needed for your recipe. Typically, I use about 2/3 cup flour to 1/2 cup water (give or take a tablespoon or so) per loaf of bread. Alternately, you can continue feeding with equal WEIGHTS of flour and water - you should use a scale and measure in grams for this feeding approach. Whichever your approach, look for that thick pancake batter consistency, mark your jar and make sure it at least doubles before using it.

Now you may see a lot of controversy on putting your starter in the fridge or cleaning your jars. From someone who bakes every day, we say, yes, you can put your starter in the fridge and please DO transfer your starter into a clean jar every few times you use it. Always use clean jars and utensils in your starter, or you risk mold. Mold on a sourdough starter can appear as fuzzy patches, discolored spots, or streaks. It’s often black, green, blue, or pink and typically grows on the surface or edges of the starter. If you notice this, toss it & start over.

If you have to go on vacation, go. Your starter will be fine in the fridge for weeks and weeks. You'll notice a greyish liquid on top when you get back. It's just your starter's natural alcohols. Just mix it back into the starter, feed it a 1/3 to 1/4 blend once, then when doubled, feed it again for what you intend to bake. Now if you're gone a real long time, you may have to repeat your 1/3 to 1/4 blend a couple times to really wake her up from her winter nap.

Happy baking friends! Don't hesitate to call us for pointers or if you throw your starter off the counter and need to pick up an emergency replacement from our starter, Tilly :-)