How To Use A Dehydrated Sourdough Starter

Using a dehydrated sourdough starter can feel intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! Sourdough is forgiving and anyone can rehydrate dried sourdough starter following these simple steps.

Having dehydrated sourdough starter on hand helps you be prepared if you ever have to start over again.

When Should I use Dehydrated Sourdough Starter?

I use dry sourdough starter when I have to start over. I have to start over if my starter gets mold, or if the glass jar of starter shatters.

I add dried starter to my starter if I ever feel like my regular starter is sluggish and starting to take a long time to rise. It doesn’t happen often and usually I add rye flour as well as dried starter.

Dry or dehydrated sourdough starter takes a long time to rise the first time because it has been dormant so long, but after the first rehydration it works much faster.

Tools for Using Dehydrated Sourdough Starter

Tall straight walled container, preferably glass, clean

2 Rubber bands to go around container or Hair bands

Spoon or knife for stirring

Coffee filters or flour sack towel that will keep out bugs or debris, loose lid will also work

Ingredients for Rehydrating Dehydrated Sourdough Starter

1 Tablespoon of Dehydrated Starter

1/2 Cup Water, filtered or set out for 1 day covered

1/2 – 3/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour – Rye is optional, but is GREAT for bringing a dehydrated starter to life.

Step 1 – Mix Starter and Water

Measure out 1 Tablespoon of dehydrated starter. Pour it into a tall straight walled container.

Add 1/3 cup of water to jar.

Step 2 – Rest for 1-3 Hours

Let rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour covered.

You can use a rubber band with a coffee filter or flour sack towel or a loose lid placed on top. Your goal is to keep out flies but let the air flow. I had to push the folds down so that the top was sealed.

Step 3 – Add Flour

Mix pieces again. It is not important if your clumps have dissolved or not, you have hydrated them!

Add ½ cup of Whole Wheat flour and mix until there are no patches of flour left. Place rubber band at the level of your starter now so that you know when it begins to rise. Cover jar to rest.

 You may need more flour or water depending on where you live. It is more important to get the consistency you like rather than to add this amount of flour and water specifically. 

Step 4 – Smell and Rest Overnight

You may want to smell your jar. This is how unfermented starter smells. Remember this for later. You only want your starter to smell like this right after a feeding.

Leave the starter out overnight then check it in the morning. You should see some rise happening in your starter. If not check again in 5 more hours.

If you see no rise after 48 hours and you followed ALL these directions then use another tablespoon of the dehydrated starter and begin again in a new container.

It is very rare for dehydrated starter not to come back to life. Dehydrated sourdough starter sometimes requires a lot of time to come back to life. Be patient, I know it is hard.

Step 5 – Starter Rising

Once you have noticed your starter rising, wait until it becomes 50%-75% taller than what you started with. Don’t worry if it doesn’t reach that height or it has begun to fall. It is simply a goal, but not required.

It took me about 16 hours in my kitchen when my kitchen was 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit. If your kitchen is colder it will take longer and if it is hotter it will take less time.

Smell your starter again. It should smell different then before especially if your starter has started to fall back down. It should smell like yeast and/or a little sour. 

In the picture below, the starter has already hit its peak. You can see the line where the starter has risen to and that all the bubbles are smaller than what they were in the picture above.

The top half of the starter has starter the collapse and has far fewer bubbles than the bottom half. These are all signs that the starter has starter to fall back down.

Your starter may have some black liquid on the top which means it has fallen and is ready to be fed again! DO NOT throw away your starter if you see black liquid. ONLY throw it away if you see anything that is fuzzy mold.

We discuss the black liquid more in the FAQ section below.

Step 6 – Second Feeding for your Dehydrated Sourdough Starter

Once your starter has risen, then you will feed it once more before baking bread with it just to make sure the yeast are very strong for bread making. 

To begin again take two tablespoons of your current starter and mix it with ¼ cup of water. Then add ½ cup of Whole Wheat flour and continue from step 3.

You may need more flour or water depending on where you live. It is more important to get the consistency you like than to add this amount of flour and water specifically. 

You can use the rest of the starter you just finished to make a recipe that doesn’t need to rise a lot. I suggest pizza dough or cinnamon rolls!

If you want more starter feel free to add ½ cup of water and 1 cup of flour or more! This starter is active now and can handle large feedings.

It will take longer to rise the more flour you add, but you can offset that by adding another tablespoon or two of active starter. 

Step 7 – Rise and Enjoy!

Once your starter reaches 50%-75% risen then you can use it to bake whatever you would like with it!

Frequently Asked Questions about Dehydrated Sourdough Starter

How Long can I Store Dehydrated Sourdough Starter?

I keep my dehydrated starter in a bag in my fridge and it has kept for years. It works every time I need to start over.

The dehydrated starter will keep in the fridge or freezer indefinitely as long as you keep it in a dry air tight environment.

What is Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough discard is the fancy term for starter that has past the peak. It has risen to it’s full height and begun to fall again.

Discard is more acidic than sourdough starter at its peak, but it is still good. You can use it the same as you would at any other time. When you bake with discard, it may have a more sour taste to it.

How do I Take Care of Sourdough Starter?

Now, it is up to you! You can feed it with whatever flour you have on hand and however much you want.

You can follow the second feeding instructions if you want to follow a recipe.

Otherwise, please feel free to let go of measuring and find what feels right to you.

You can feed the starter as much flour and water as you want. As long as it is more than the starter you start with you can grow it as large as your family needs.

I like to start with very little starter in the jar. I have used as much of the starter as I can already, but this is still plenty to start again!

Please make sure to feed it more than what you start with most of the time. If you have half a cup of starter you are feeding you should add AT LEAST half a cup of flour to feed your starter an equal part.

If you feed a lot of starter, just a little new flour consistently then your starter will not grow as much. There will be a lot of competition for the small amount of food.

Does the Sourdough Starter Consistency Matter?

Yes and No.

No, your starter will not care if it is more liquid or more dry.

Yes, it will effect how fast your starter peaks.

A more liquid consistency will have bubbles at the top and will ferment faster and stiff (dry) starter will ferment slower because the yeast can’t move as much. 

The starter will ferment either way, but it will take different amounts of time.

Can I Store my Sourdough Starter in the Fridge?

If you will not be baking everyday I recommend using the fridge to slow your starter down.

You can put the jar with the scrapings in the fridge and then pull it out to feed it the night before you want to bake with it again.

Or you can feed the scraps of starter, leave it on the counter until you notice it start to rise, and then store it in the fridge. That you have ready to go starter for the week!

Letting the fermentation process begin before you place the starter in the fridge will help avoid Kahm yeast. Kahm Yeast is harmless, but will require you to start over from a teaspoon of starter from the bottom of the jar.

Why does my Sourdough Starter have Black Liquid on it?

You will get black liquid on top of your starter at some point.

DO NOT TRASH IT.

This is hooch. It is an alcohol that the sourdough starter yeast makes to protect the starter from other bacteria. You can choose to drain the liquid off or mix it in. If you mix it in and then choose to use that discard it will have a strong tangy flavor. 

My Sourdough Starter has Mold on it. Can I Save it?

Unfortunately, no.

You should trash ALL of your starter if you see mold growing on it that is white, black, or pink. 

It is better to be safe than sorry. That is why having dehydrated sourdough starter is a back up option if mold ever happens.

I have been maintaining a sourdough starter since 2018 and I only have had mold once. It is not common if you store your sourdough starter properly.

I got mold in my starter because I left the starter cover ajar, overnight, without feeding the starter after using it. Unfortunately, I had not been careful and I knew the next morning that it had been a mistake.

I had to throw away the starter scraps and start over with dehydrated starter.

Can I use Sourdough Starter Instead of Commercial Yeast in Recipes?

YES! Once you begin using sourdough you realize that everything can be made with sourdough starter!

I tend to find yeast bread recipes I enjoy and then instead of yeast like the recipe calls for I add 100 grams of starter.

I treat the dough the same way I would any sourdough bread and it usually works out well!

What do I do with my Bread Fails?

If your bread turns out too dense or gummy there are still ways to use it! Learn what you can from the bread fail and then get slicing!

My favorite ways to use the flop breads are croutons, toast, and French toast. 

Bread that flops can be used in different ways, it just takes some creativity! 

Do you have Favorite Sourdough Bread Cookbooks?

I recommend these two books to start. There are many more at your library that you can check out!

Bittman Bread by Mark Bittman

This book is a great book for people who want to bake with fresh milled flour. It also helped me be more comfortable breaking the “bread rules” you see online and in many other books.

Artisan Sourdough by Emilie Raffa

This book combines whole wheat with bread flour to create delicious breads that my family has enjoyed for years! I tend to use these recipes with all fresh milled flour and add more water.

I have had a lot of practice in failure and success over the years, so now I know what the breads should feel like. This is YOUR sourdough journey. You WILL make mistakes, but you will learn and you will get better with practice. 

Enjoy the learning process and the knowledge that you are making delicious food for you and/or your family!

What tips do you have to Work with Dehydrated Sourdough Starter?

Let us know in the comments below how dehydrated sourdough starter works for you!

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