Kitchen Notes & Rehydrating Dry Starter
Kitchen Notes, Helpful Tools As You Get Started:
Kitchen Notes, Helpful Tools As You Get Started:
Kitchen Notes, Helpful Tools As You Get Started:
*A digital kitchen scale is recommended for exact measurements (in grams) when starting your baking journey.
Kitchen Notes, Helpful Tools As You Get Started:
Kitchen Notes, Helpful Tools As You Get Started:
*Glass Jar- I prefer a wide mouth 1L jar but any glass jar 16oz at least will work.
Other tools that are helpful:
* Spurdle- (mixing tool) wood or silicone are my preference.
Avoid using metal utensils for stirring your starter as it can affect the quality of the rise of your dough. Stainless steel is said to be ok but aluminum and other metals can react with the live cultures.
*Bowl- I like glass
*Dough Wisk
*Bench scraper
*Banaton
*Rice flour
*Lame
*6 quart or larger dutch oven
*Spray bottle or cookie sheet for water during baking
*Cooling rack
*Good bread knife
Also, try to find a spot in your kitchen for your sourdough starter that stays above 70° and you will get more bubbles and a more successful rise of your starter/dough.
Day 1
Kitchen Notes, Helpful Tools As You Get Started:
Day 1
-In a clean wide mouth glass jar add the dry packet of starter (8g) and 1Tbl (16g) lukewarm (filtered) water, let sit 20min to rehydrate.
-Add 1Tbl (8g) unbleached flour, mix until well incorporated with a wooden utensil (it will be thick and doughy).
-Cover loosely with lid or cloth (allow airflow) & let sit in a warm spot for 24hrs undisturbed.
Day 2
Day 2
Day 1
-Stir in 1Tbl (8g) of flour and 2tsp (8g) (room temp or lukewarm water, mix well & cover with something that allows airflow.
-Mark top of dough with rubber band.
Optional after 12hrs- if it is looking bubbly and has doubled in size great! If not …feed again 1:1:1 (should be roughly 16g starter:16g flour: 16g water).
Day 3
Day 2
Day 3
The starter should look alive and bubbly. If it does not, repeat Day 2 (with 1:1:1 feedings dependent on what’s in your jar) before moving on to Day 3 instructions.
Steps to doing 1:1:1 feedings:
1. Place empty jar on scale, zero it out.
2. Pour starter into your jar to get weight in grams of just the starter. Zero out the scale again but remember the weight in starter.
3. Add the same amount of weight in filtered water. Mix it all together until soupy. Zero out the scale.
4. Add the same amount of weight in unbleached flour. Stir until incorporated.
5. Scrape the sides of your jar. Mark top of fed starter with a rubber band or marker on the outside of the jar. Put lid on loosely to allow airflow. Place elevated off cold counter on a towel with a plate underneath incase of overflow. (Your starter will rise best in temps of 72-82 degrees).
-Transfer 50g of starter to a 1L ish jar.
-If you have any leftover starter add it to a jar you’ll designate for “discard” in your fridge. You’ll add to this each time you feed your starter.
-IF YOU DO NOT HAVE 50g yet transfer what you have that is active and bubbly
-Add 1/3c (50g) flour and 1/4c (50g) water.
-Mark with rubber band.
-Cover.
Within 12hours your starter should be spongy & full of bubbles. At its peak it should have risen to at least double and be slightly domed on top.
-It is ready to bake with at this point or at its peak it can be placed in the fridge with a lid on securely leave room in the top of the jar for possible growth.
Maintaining Sourdough Starter
Now that your dehydrated sourdough starter is activated, you will want to
"feed" it to keep it alive...
-If baking weekly and you plan to keep your starter in the fridge regularly in between baking days:
you'll feed equal weights of starter, flour, water (1:1:1 ratio)
example 50g starter, 50g flour, 50g water when you're ready to bake pull your starter from the fridge let it come up in temperature a bit, then feed. Use what you're going to for your recipe then place back in the fridge.
- If you plan on keeping your starter on the counter for a few days or for everyday baking you can feed 1:1:1 or 1:2:2 ratio. When you feed you can discard to your discard jar you'll keep in the fridge or use your discard in daily recipes as well to keep your starter at a manageable size. If kept on your counter your starter needs to be fed daily.
- If your starter is sluggish and needs a boost discard all but 30g starter add 125g water, 130g flour +10g rye flour and let it rise to peak. It may double to quadruple so be sure to have room for growth in your jar.
REMEMBER* if you ever see pink/orange/fuzzy or red, your starter is dead ☠️🪦(once mold or bad bacteria has appeared in any part of your starter you must toss the whole thing, no part of it is safe) When in doubt toss it out... Black, cloudy or grey, it'll be ok it's just hootch you can likely revive it just fine. Pour the top liquid off or stir it in, your preference but feed it. It's hungry!
