This is your easy peasy step-by-step guide to reactivating your Organic Better Basics Dehydrated Sourdough Starter. Reactivating only takes a few days and you will have a beautifully bubbly, active sourdough starter – ready for baking.

Dehydrated Sourdough Starter 101

Essentially, it is a dry version of the bubbly sourdough starters we have all become accustomed to. Our sourdough starters are made from Organic Better Basics - Better Bread Flour. We take our active sourdough starter and slowly dehydrate it to create an off-white powder that can easily be reactivated within a couple of days. 

Why use a dehydrated starter instead of making your own from scratch you ask? Creating a starter from scratch is pretty easily accomplished with a week and a good amount of flour. A dehydrated version helps launch your sourdough journey in just a few days and is nearly foolproof. 

How to Reactivate a Dry Sourdough Starter

Those off-white granules were once a bubbly active starter, and are now in need of some love. The process is quite simple, just follow the step-by-step guide to easily reactivate. As mentioned, your environment will determine how quickly it will come to life. The bacteria and yeast that live in your sourdough starter are happiest at a temperature of about 70 to 75°F or 20 to 23°C. Cooler temperatures will lead to slower activation. Cooler temperatures will lead to slower activation and warmer temperatures may make the process go faster.

Follow these easy steps below to slowly reactivate your dehydrated starter back to its best bubbly self.

Step 1: take your Better Basics dehydrated sourdough starter and pour it into a pint-size mason jar. 

Step 2: add 50 g of Better Bread Flour and 60g of filtered water

Step 3: mix well until it becomes a shaggy dough consistency

Step 4: cover lightly ( do not seal jar) and let sit on the counter for 24 hours

Step 5: You will repeat steps 1-4 at the same time daily. Starting day 3 you must discard ⅔ of your starter each day. Do not forget to discard or you will end up with a mass amount of starter. 

Reactivation process takes 3-4 days.

Supplies needed: 

• 10 grams of dehydrated sourdough starter 

• Better Bread Flour I can not guarantee results with other flours as I know our Better Bread Flour has great results. 

• Filtered water or spring water. Must be free of chlorine.

• A pint size glass mason jar 

• A 500 ml glass mason jar. Once your starter is active you will want to transfer to a larger jar to maintain.

Going forward:

Please download my FREE eBook Sourdough Starter 101 for tips and tricks on maintaining a healthy sourdough starter. It also contains sourdough discard recipes and my popular “Big Loaf” recipe.