If you’ve purchased an envelope of Wilder Lodge’s dehydrated starter, or received some of sourdough starter in the mail, our quick start guide will help you bring your sourdough starter back to life without too much difficulty. With a little patience and care, you’ll be baking up a storm in no time!
What You’ll Need
- Digital Scale
- Fork
- Mason Jar (at least 500ml)
- Elastic Band (or washable marker)
- 10g of Dehydrated Starter
- 20g Water (lukewarm)
- 20g All-Purpose Flour
Instructions
- Wake up your starter! Add 10g dehydrated starter and 20g lukewarm water to your mason jar. Mix well with a fork until most of the dry bits dissolve.
- Add your flour! Stir in 20g all-purpose flour and mix until thick and sticky. This is the beginning of your new sourdough culture.
- Mark the level! Wrap an elastic band around the jar (or mark it with a washable marker) at the top of the mixture. This makes it easy to see when your starter has grown and become active. Close the jar with a lid. Note: You want to ensure that the jar you use has enough space to allow the starter to activate and expand.
- Keep it warm! Place your jar somewhere warm—25–30°C is ideal. The easiest method is inside your oven with just the oven light on. (Pro tip: leave a sticky note on the oven dial so nobody accidentally bakes your starter!)
- Wait for the magic to happen! Within 12–36 hours, your revived starter should double in size, look bubbly, and have a slightly domed top. That means it’s awake, active, and ready to bake. If it hasn’t doubled yet, don’t worry—simply feed it again using equal parts starter, water, and flour (a 1:1:1 feeding) and keep it warm. Dehydrated cultures sometimes just needs a bit more time.
- Strengthen it! For best results, feed your starter a couple of times (every 6–12 hours) until it doubles consistently. This ensures it’s strong, happy, and reliable for baking.
Pssst! Don’t forget to set aside extra starter for future baking.
Ongoing Care
- If kept at room temperature: feed once a day.
- If kept in the fridge: your starter can rest for weeks or even months. When you’re ready to use it again, give it a few feedings to bring it back to full strength.
A Quick Safety Note
If your starter develops pink, orange, or fuzzy growth, it’s a sign to discard and restart. This is rare but worth mentioning.
With just a bit of warmth and a couple of feedings, your revived starter will soon become the heart of your kitchen. Treat it kindly, keep it fed, and it will reward you with beautiful, flavourful bakes for years to come. Welcome to the Wilder Lodge sourdough family — happy baking!
SHARE
As one of your hosts at Wilder Lodge, I can’t wait to share more sourdough tips and tricks with you!
