How to Rehydrate Your Sourdough Starter

...and why naming it is basically a legal requirement

So, you want to make sourdough?

Welcome to the wonderfully wild world of sourdough. Before you start googling “how to catch wild yeast in the air” or stressing over a week-long science experiment on your bench, take a deep breath. You don’t need to make your own starter from scratch. If you’re here, you’ve probably purchased some from me! You can use dried sourdough starter flakes—yep, that’s a thing—and yes, they actually work.

Since you’re already here, you’ve probably purchased some dehyrated sourdough from me, so you can skip the faffing and get to the fun part: baking. My own starter is called Shadough Daddy (yes, I read a lot of romance books!), and honestly, I expect your new bubbly buddy to be just as dramatic and iconic.

What is a sourdough starter anyway?

Think of it as a living blob of dough filled with wild yeast and good bacteria. It’s what makes your bread rise (without any of that commercial yeast business) and gives it that delicious tang.

It’s alive. It’s slightly needy. And it will bring you an absurd amount of joy.

What you’ll need

Ingredients

  • 20g (1 Packet) Dried sourdough starter flakes

  • 40g Water (room temp)

  • 20g bread flour

Tools

  • A glass or plastic jar (no metal—starters are a bit dramatic about it)

  • Plastic wrap or a loose-fitting lid

  • Rubber band big enough to go around your jar (great for measuring doubling!)

  • Kitchen Scale

  • Heat mat - not necessary, but nice to have, specially in winter!

How to activate your sourdough starter

  1. Add 40g of room temp water to your jar. I don’t find I have issues with regular tap water, but if your starter doesn’t seem to get going, try using filtered!

  2. Stir in your dried sourdough starter flakes. Let them soak for a few hours until fully rehydrated—no floaty, dry bits allowed.

  3. Once rehydrated, add 20g of bread flour and mix well. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a lid, and let it sit at room temp for 8–24 hours. You’re looking for small bubbles. No bubbles? Feed it 20g flour and 20g water and give it another 8–24 hours. Temperature makes a big difference.

  4. When it starts bubbling, congrats—your starter is alive. Give it one or two more feeds to build up strength. It should double in size after a feed—that’s your sign that it’s strong enough to use. A good feed is 100g flour and 100g water. Before each feed, discard most of the starter and just keep a couple of spoonfuls in the jar.

Don’t toss the discard. You can use it for pancakes, muffins, crackers, even fritters. It’s too good to waste.

When is my starter ready to use?

You’ll know it’s ready when:

  • It doubles in size

  • It’s bubbly and fluffy

  • It smells pleasantly tangy

  • It passes the float test (drop a teaspoon into a glass of water—if it floats, it’s ready)

If you’re baking in the morning, give it a feed the night before. You’ll need 150g of active starter for most recipes, so feed it 100g flour and 100g water to get enough with some left over.

Storage tips: fridge vs bench

If you bake once a week or less, store your starter in the fridge. Feed it after baking, then pop it in the fridge loosely covered. It can live quite happily there for 1–2 weeks.

To wake it up: take it out two days before baking. Feed it, let it rise. Feed it again. Once it’s bubbly and doubled, you’re ready to go.

If you bake more than twice a week, keep it on the bench and feed it daily. Yes, it’s a commitment—but the bread is worth it.

Feeding and maintenance

  • Always discard most of your starter before feeding

  • Feed with equal parts flour and filtered water by weight (e.g. 100g each)

  • Let it rise at room temp until bubbly and doubled

  • When it starts to fall, it’s hungry again

Use a rubber band around your jar to track the rise—it’s a handy little visual cue.

Common questions

What’s the brown liquid on top?
That’s called hooch—your starter’s way of telling you it’s hungry. Just pour it off before feeding, or you can leave it in.

Does it ever go bad?
Yes. If you see pink or orange streaks, mould, or it smells properly awful, it’s time to bin it and start fresh.

Why do we discard some before feeding?
To keep acidity levels in check and stop it from turning into The Blob and taking over your kitchen.

Once your starter is active and strong, you’re ready to make your first sourdough loaf using your favourite recipe! Mine will be coming to the page soon, so keep an eye out!

Don’t forget to tag me in your sourdough pics—I want to see those crusty creations!

Name Your Starter (Or Risk the Wrath of the Yeast Gods)

Alright, this is a non-negotiable final step in the Sourdough Process. Naming your starter gives it power. It gives you power. It makes you giggle when you say, “I’ve gotta feed Bread Pitt before bed.”

A few starter name ideas:

  • Flourence

  • Crumbelina

  • Lazarus

  • Bread Sheeran

  • The Mandoughlorian

  • Leaven Let Die

You get the idea… Whatever name you choose, wear it proudly. You are now a parent to a living organism that farts bread bubbles to make your baked good rise. Congratulations, and welcome to the Sourdough obsession!