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Purchasing a dehydrated sourdough starter can cut out a lot of the work involved in getting a successful starter from-scratch! You can now purchase Little Wife in the Woods starter made with all organic ingredients on Etsy.com (click this link to shop). Our starter is made from a slowly dehydrated starter that is packaged right here in our little homestead kitchen.
*Disclaimer: this method has only been tested on Little Wife in the Woods sourdough starter. Please follow the directions from the company you purchased your starter from for the best results.
The Process of Making Dehydrated Sourdough Starter
I have had a few questions about how the beneficial bacteria survives being dehydrated (a great question!). To answer that as simply as I know how, when dehydrated using the process explained below, the beneficial bacteria in the sourdough starter is not killed or damaged but rather put into a state of dormancy or “sleep”. When rehydrated the bacteria that is already there simply awakens and begins to multiply as it is fed and cared for properly.
So what is the correct process of dehydrating sourdough starter? Basically, slow and low heat over a long period of time. I prefer to boost the starter to its full rise before dehydrating. Then dehydrate on low heat over the course of about twelve hours. This ensures that when the starter arrives to your kitchen it is in the freshest state possible, and the easiest to rehydrate.
Storing Your Sourdough Starter
Dehydrated sourdough starter can last for years! Store it in a cool, dry place (or in the freezer for long-term storage). If you have pest problems, store your bag in an airtight glass container.
Once rehydrated, you will need to follow the storing instructions for a functional sourdough starter. You can read all about how to maintain your starter in this post.
Rehydrating Your Sourdough Starter
Day One
On day one you will need to begin by getting your starter back into a liquid state. Empty the entire contents of your bag of starter into a wide-mouth, quart size mason jar or a medium size glass bowl. (Contents of Little Wife in the Woods starter is about 1/4 a cup.) Add 1/2 cup of warm water to the dehydrated starter and allow to sit for 20-30 minutes.
Due to varying environments/humidity level you may notice that you need to use more water to fully break down the dried pieces of your starter. If you notice that it looks very clumpy or that the starter grains are not fully moistened go ahead and add about 1/4 cup more water to your starter.
After 20-30 minutes you should be able to stir the starter/water mixture to form a very loose, runny starter. Once everything is mixed and dissolved you will need to feed the starter. (You can read this post for why it is necessary to feed sourdough starter.)
Feed the starter 1/2 cup flour (I prefer King Arthur all-purpose or King Arthur organic all-purpose) and 1/4 cup water. Stir. Allow to sit uncovered for about 24 hours.
*Note: if you are on city water or any form of treated water you may need to consider using filtered water for your starter due to the fact that the chemicals added may effect the rising of your starter.
Day Two
Time to feed again! But first you need to discard some of the starter (read why in this blog post).
Discard (remove) 1/2 of the sourdough starter. Discard can be saved to use for sourdough discard recipes, given to chickens, or thrown away. You can also keep discard in your refrigerator as an emergency reserve in case something happens to your original starter. I highly recommend this because you never know when you might need it!
Now feed your starter the same way you did yesterday: 1/2 cup flour + 1/4 cup water. You may need to adjust the hydration of your sourdough starter. This involves adding more water or giving less water based on the texture of your starter. Basically, you are looking for a very thick pancake batter consistency. If it is too thin, add more flour and less water. If your starter is too thick, add less flour more water.
Allow to reset uncovered for about 24 hours.
Day Three
On day three you are ready to use your starter as long as it has bubbles and you are seeing starter rise when fed. If you are not yet seeing this continue to discard and feed for a few more days.
Today you will need to discard 1/2 the contents of your starter then feed 1/2 cup flour + 1/4 cup water (or whatever ratio you have found to be best for your climate). After 12 hours feed starter again (1/2 cup flour + 1/4 cup water). This time do not discard. After your starter has risen to peak rise you are ready to make your bread dough and begin the beautiful journey of making delicious sourdough goods right from your home!
Find everything you need to start making sourdough starter over on Amazon!
CLICK HERE!
Maintaining Your Starter
Now you are ready to enjoy your starter on a weekly basis! Here are a few tips on caring for your starter from now on…
Storing your starter
Storing your starter really depends on your usage. If you are planning to use daily to every couple days you can leave your starter out on the counter with no issues. Make sure you are feeding your starter consistently if it is being left out.
However, if you plan to make bread once a week or on random occasion you will want to keep your starter in the refrigerator. Starter can be kept in the refrigerator a long time before going bad. If it has been several months before use it two things you will want to check are visible presence of mold and/or an extremely rancid (more than just sour) smell.
A starter stored in the refrigerator may get a yellow or grey liquid on the top. This is not mold and your starter is completely usable. This is called hooch. You just need to drain the liquid off and it is ready to go!
Feeding/Discarding
If you are using your starter regularly you no longer need to discard starter before use. The only reason you should discard is if you are noticing you have a lot of starter and are not using it all. The more starter you have the more you need to feed it and you will cut down on cost by maintaining the amount that is right for you.
You need to feed your starter regularly (every day or other day) if you are leaving it out. If you are storing your starter in the refrigerator it is not necessary to feed your starter until you are ready to use it. You will want to remove the starter before use and feed it to get it nice and active again.
Thank you for purchasing a Little Wife in the Woods sourdough starter! If you are experiencing any difficulties with your sourdough starter I would love to try to help! Message me over on the contact page or comment below to chat.
Follow along over on Instagram (@littlewifeinthewoods) for weekly tips and recipes!
