Wake up your starter
You've got a packet of my dried sourdough starter — the same one that raises every loaf I bake. Right now it's asleep. Waking it up takes about 3–4 days and five minutes a day. Here's exactly what to do.
What you'll need
- Your packet of dried starter (20 g)
- A pint jar, or any jar or deli container with a lid you can leave loose
- Unbleached all-purpose or bread flour — any brand you have is fine
- Tap water and a spoon
A kitchen scale makes this easier, but you don't need one — I give cup and spoon measures for every step.
Day by day
Rehydrate
Really warm means bath-water warm, not hot — much over 110 °F can hurt it. Stir it together in your jar, cover loosely, and leave it on the counter for 2–3 hours. Give it a stir once or twice along the way until the flakes have mostly dissolved.
First feed
You're looking for a thick pancake-batter consistency. Cover loosely and leave it at room temperature overnight.
Feed it twice a day
Every morning and evening:
- Keep about 2 tablespoons (30 g) of the mixture in the jar and discard the rest. (Compost it — or look up discard crackers and pancakes; that's a whole world.)
- Stir in 30 g (¼ cup) flour and 30 ml (2 tablespoons) lukewarm water.
By Day 2 you should see scattered bubbles. By Day 3 or 4 it should be rising noticeably between feeds with a bubbly top, and the smell will shift from wallpaper paste to something tangy, like yogurt. That's exactly right.
Ready to bake
Your starter is ready when it predictably doubles within about 4–6 hours of a feed, with a domed, bubbly top. I feed mine at 9 in the morning and it's ready by 3.
Easy way to track it: put a rubber band or a piece of tape on the jar at the level of the starter right after you feed it, and watch how far it climbs.
Your first bake
Most recipes want more starter than lives in your jar, so build it up the night before you bake: mix 1 tablespoon (20 g) of your starter with 60 g (½ cup) flour and 60 ml (¼ cup) water. By morning you'll have about 140 g of ripe starter — enough for most loaves, and you still have the rest in the jar to keep going. Scale up the same way for bigger bakes.
Any beginner sourdough recipe you trust will work from here — or text me and I'll send you mine.
Keeping it alive
Baking every week or less? Keep the jar in the fridge. Once a week, take it out, discard down to 2 tablespoons (30 g), feed it 30 g flour + 30 ml water, let it sit out for an hour, and put it back.
Forgot about it for a month? It's almost certainly fine. Pour off any dark liquid, discard down to 2 tablespoons, and feed it twice a day at room temperature for a day or two. It'll come back.
Troubleshooting
- Nothing's happening by Day 3
- It's probably cold. Starters like 75–80 °F — try the oven with just the light on, or the top of the fridge. Keep feeding; it's slow, not dead.
- There's liquid on top
- That's called hooch, and it means your starter is hungry — not dead. Pour it off (or stir it in) and feed.
- It smells like nail polish remover
- Also hunger. Feed it more often for a day and the smell will settle back to tangy.
- Pink or orange streaks, or fuzzy mold
- Rare, but that one's a goner — toss it and text me. I'll get you a new packet.
Where this starter comes from
This starter was raised on NJ heritage grain from River Valley Community Grains, stone-milled at Marksboro Mills. It's the culture behind every loaf I sell. Don't worry about matching that at home — it isn't picky, and any unbleached all-purpose or bread flour will keep it happy.
Stuck? Text me. 🍞
Michael · 973 919 7414 · michael@michaelbakes.com
Rather just eat the bread? Order a loaf.