Reactivating Your Better Basics Dehydrated Sourdough Starter
From dry granules to bubbly and active in just a few days. Here is everything you need to know.
If you have ever wanted to start a sourdough journey but felt put off by the idea of building a starter from scratch, a dehydrated starter is your shortcut. Instead of waiting a week or more and using a lot of flour in the process, you can have an active, bubbly starter ready in just a few days.
This is your step-by-step guide to reactivating your Better Basics Dehydrated Sourdough Starter. Follow the steps, be patient, and you will have a healthy starter ready for baking before you know it.
What is a dehydrated sourdough starter?
A dehydrated starter is exactly what it sounds like. We take our own active, bubbly sourdough starter, made with our Better Bread Flour, and slowly dehydrate it until it becomes a fine off-white powder. All the good bacteria and wild yeast are still in there, just dormant and waiting to be woken up.
Building a starter from scratch is absolutely doable with about a week of time and a good amount of flour. A dehydrated version gets you there in a few days with far less guesswork, and is nearly foolproof when you follow the process.
What you will need
Supplies
- 10 g of Better Basics Dehydrated Sourdough Starter
- Better Bread Flour — I cannot guarantee results with other flours. Our Better Bread Flour has consistently great results.
- Filtered or spring water, free of chlorine. Chlorine can interfere with the bacteria in your starter.
- A pint-sized glass mason jar for reactivation
- A 500 ml glass mason jar for ongoing maintenance once your starter is active
Before you begin
The bacteria and wild yeast in your starter are happiest at 70 to 75°F or 20 to 23°C. A cooler kitchen will slow things down and a warmer one may speed things up. Keep that in mind as you work through the process.
Step-by-step: how to reactivate your starter
Pour your dehydrated sourdough starter into a pint-sized mason jar. Add 60 g of filtered water, stir well, and set aside until the granules soften. This takes about an hour.
Add 50 g of Better Bread Flour to the rehydrated starter and mix until fully incorporated. It should look like a shaggy, thick dough. If it seems too dry, add a small splash of water and mix again.
Cover the jar lightly, do not seal it, and leave it on the counter for 24 hours. The starter needs air to breathe.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 at the same time each day. Starting on day 3, discard 2/3 of your starter before each feeding. Do not skip the discard or you will end up with far more starter than you can manage. The full reactivation process takes 3 to 4 days.
Patience is the most important ingredient here. If your kitchen is cool, things will move a little slower. That is completely normal. Look for bubbles, a slightly domed top, and a mild sour smell. Those are all signs your starter is coming to life.
What comes next
Once your starter is active and bubbly, transfer it to a 500 ml mason jar for ongoing maintenance. From here, regular feedings keep it healthy and ready to bake with whenever you need it.
For everything you need to know about maintaining a healthy sourdough starter, discard recipes, and my popular Basic Sourdough recipe, download my free eBook Sourdough Starter 101. It covers everything from feeding schedules to troubleshooting and is a great companion to this guide.
Know better. Do better.
It starts with what is in your bag.
Pick up your Better Basics Dehydrated Sourdough Starter and Better Bread Flour and start your sourdough journey this week.
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