Rehydration Instructions
To revive the sourdough starter from it’s dehydrated form, follow these steps:
- **Rehydration**: Mix the entire packet of dried sourdough starter with 1-2 tablespoons of warm water (around 90°F to 100°F) in a clean glass or ceramic container ( I use a ball jar ). Stir until the starter dissolves a little bit, water will be a bit murky and still a bit chunky.
2. **Initial feeding**: Add 25g of flour (preferably whole wheat flour, whole flour is very important to getting the starter going strong because of how many nutrients it contains, you can use regular flour later on after starter is strong ) and 25g of filtered, non chlorinated water and 1-2g sugar (this one time only) to the rehydrated starter mixture. Mix well until the flour is fully incorporated and the mixture has a thick, batter-like consistency. ( If you do not have a scale, use 1 part water and 2 parts flour, this is equivalent to the 50/50 mixture by weight )
3. **Incubation**: Cover the container with a cloth or plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm ( ideally 70 degrees or more) , draft-free place for 24-48 hours ( elevate jar if you have granite countertops, they tend to be cold and slow growth, I use a wood cutting board). This will allow the starter to begin fermenting and producing carbon dioxide.
4. **First feeding after incubation**: After 24-48 hours, discard half of the starter and add 50g of flour and 50g of water. Mix well and cover the container again.
5. **Subsequent feedings**: Repeat the process of discarding half of the starter and feeding it with fresh flour and water every 24 hours for the next 5-7 days. This will help strengthen the starter and encourage it to become more active.
6. **Monitoring progress**: Observe your starter's activity, looking for signs such as bubbles, foam, or a slightly tangy smell. If you notice any mold or unpleasant odors
( it should smell sour ), discard the starter and start again.
7. **Storage**: Once your revived sourdough starter is active, bubbly, and nearly doubles in size within a few hours after feeding it’s time to use some of it in a recipe!!!, or you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator to slow down its activity if you don’t plan to use it right away. Always keep some of the starter separate from the recipe, so you can continue to use your starter for years to come.
Remember that reviving a dried sourdough starter can take time and patience, so don't be discouraged if it takes several days for your starter to become fully active. Also there are many factors in home baking without professional equipment and each batch will come out more or less sour, dense, proofed, amount of holes, etc. So spend time researching what makes each of these characteristics happen, and try to dial in all input levels and variables, It’s a life long journey to master the art of the perfect Sourdough. Enjoy!