Rehydration Instructions

 Reviving Your Dehydrated Sourdough Starter

Let’s Get Her Bubbling Again

(Updated 9-15-2025)

What You’ll Need:

• A 16 oz glass jar and a larger jar for expansion by Day 5

• Filtered tap or spring water (avoid distilled, purified bottled, or reverse osmosis water)

• Unbleached bread flour ( preferred ) or all purpose flour is acceptable 

( or Gluten Free flour of your choice )

• A mixing utensil (avoid metal)

 

Helpful Tip:

Try to begin the process in the morning so your starter reaches its most active state during the day. A mature starter typically peaks 4–6 hours after feeding. If you start in the evening, it may reach its peak overnight, making it less convenient for baking. When a starter hits its peak, it tends to rise and then collapse back down. At this stage, a strong smell and watery texture are normal signs that it’s hungry and ready for the next feeding. If at any point the mixture becomes too warm or you see bubbles rising to the surface, add more flour and just enough water so that there are no dry flour pockets - the thicker, the better. A thin, watery mixture will cause bubbles to rise and burst at the surface, which can hinder the starter’s ability to rise and will give the appearance of the starter not being active. This is the number one problem beginners encounter, especially in summer months.

Day 1:

Empty the contents of one packet of dehydrated starter into your glass jar. Add 3 tablespoons (45 g) of room temperature water and stir. Let it sit for an hour. After that hour, add 2 tablespoons (15 g) of flour. It’s okay if the starter doesn’t fully dissolve. Stir until all the flour is incorporated and no dry patches remain. Cover loosely and leave at room temperature for 24 hours.

Day 2:

After sitting for 24 hours, it’s time to feed the starter for the first time. Add 2 tablespoons (15 g) of flour and 1 tablespoon (15 g) of room temperature water. The goal is a thick batter / thick paste—not too runny. Stir well, cover loosely, and leave at room temperature for another 24 hours.

Day 3:

Repeat the same feeding steps from Day 2. By now, you may see the beginnings of bubbling activity—your starter is starting to come alive! After mixing and feeding, cover it again and leave it for another 24 hours. Look for more bubbles and some volume increase in the jar.

Day 4:

You may notice the starter has grown and then fallen, leaving streaks along the sides of the jar. This is a good sign! Today it’s time for a more substantial feeding. Mix in ½ cup ( 60 g) of flour and ¼ cup (60 g) of water. If the texture seems too thick, as long as there are no dry pockets of flour it should be perfect. (Environmental factors can slightly change how much water is needed.) Stir thoroughly, cover loosely, and let it rest for another day. If the jar is getting full, transfer the starter to a larger container.

Day 5: Time to Prep for Baking!

If you haven’t already, now is the time to transfer your growing starter into a larger container—something in the 32 to 64 oz range works well depending on how much starter you plan to maintain.

For today’s feeding, mix in ½ cup ( 60 g) of flour and ¼ cup (60 g) of room temperature water. If the mixture feels too thick, slowly add water by the teaspoon until it resembles a thick pancake batter.

Keep your starter in a warm spot (ideally between 70–75°F or 21–24°C). Within 4 to 6 hours, you should see noticeable rising and bubbling. In cooler environments, this may take longer, and your starter might need additional feedings to become fully active.

Once it doubles in size within that 4–6 hour window, it’s officially ready to bake with. Starting tomorrow, you’ll follow a regular feeding routine to maintain your healthy starter.

 

Ongoing Starter Care (Day 6 and Beyond)

Room Temperature Maintenance:

If you plan to keep your starter at room temperature, it will need daily feedings. Before each feeding, discard enough starter so only about ¼ of the jar remains. (Save the discard in a separate container for use in recipes—just don’t pour it down the sink!)

Feed by adding equal parts of flour and water by weight to match the remaining starter. This is typically a 1:1:1 ratio of starter, flour, and water. Aim for the same thick, batter-like consistency. You can measure by eye or use a scale for more accuracy. If your starter seems too thin and bubbles are rising to the top and popping easily (which prevents the starter from rising / doubling), feed a heavier flour ratio like 1:3:2.

 

Refrigerated Maintenance:

If you bake less often, you can store your starter in the refrigerator. Feed it before refrigerating, and then feed it again every 7–10 days.

When ready to use it again:

1. Remove it from the fridge.

2. Feed it with equal parts of starter, flour, and water.

3. Return it to the fridge, or if you plan to bake, leave it out and feed it for 1–2 days until it’s active and doubling in size within hours of feeding.

Be sure to feed it the morning of the day you plan to bake so it’s nice and bubbly at its peak!

Congratulations!

You’ve now got a fully active and ready to use sourdough starter! Give it a name—it adds to the fun.

• If you do not plan to use your starter daily, you may refrigerate it and feed it weekly. A healthy starter can remain in hibernation in the fridge for up to a month.

Important Notes:   - The #1 issue we see from customers is that the mixture is too thin, and needs to be mixed thicker with flour (see notes below ) - This is an issue with the variety of environments we all have and no mixture recipe is universal.

• Your starter is very resilient. If you think it’s dead, email us for support before discarding it.

• Some starters may require twice-daily feedings during activation, especially after Day 4.

• If liquid (called “hooch”) appears on top, simply pour half of it off or stir it back in and feed the starter well. This is normal.

• Never throw your starter away without trying to revive it with a feeding.

A typical feeding ratio is 1:1:1 (starter : flour : water), but this can be adjusted, some prefer a 1:3:2 ratio. If your starter seems sluggish, feed it more. If your starter seems too thin and bubbles are rising to the top and popping easily, feed a heavier flour ratio like 1:3:2

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 ( See our website for information) 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!