All Things Sourdough

How to revive your sourdough starter:

DAY 1

• In a small bowl or jar, mix 5 grams of dehydrated sourdough starter with 15 grams of warm water. 

• Allow the starter and water to sit for about 2 hours, or until the dried starter dissolves.

• Stir in 15 grams of flour.

• Cover for 12 - 14 hours. Make sure the pace it’s being kept is warm.

DAY 2

There may not be visible signs of activity at this point.

• Without discarding any of what is in the jar, stir in 10 g of flour and 10 g of water.

• Cover and keep warm.

DAY 3

You may begin to see signs of activity at this point such as small bubbles and a slightly sour aroma. 

• Without discarding any of what is in the jar, stir in 10 g of flour and 10 g of water.

• Cover and keep warm.

DAY 4

You should see clear signs of activity at this point. The starter will have risen since the last feeding and you will see bubbles.

• Discard all but 15 g of the starter.

• To the 15 g of starter add 30 g of water and 30 g of flour.

• Cover and keep warm

DAY 5

Your starter should be very active at this point. It will have doubled in size, be very bubbly, and smell sweet with just a hint of sourness. By Day 5 your starter will be very active. The time it takes to peak will have shortened from the previous days. From experience, 7 hours after the day 5–AM feeding the starter had just about tripled in size. 

IN THE AM

• Discard all but 15 g of the starter.

• To the 15 g of starter, add 30 g of water and 30 g of flour.

• Cover and keep warm.

  
  

IN THE PM

• Check your starter around the 7-hour mark. If it has close to tripled in size, then repeat the same feeding as you did in the AM. If it has not yet peaked, let it go another hour or two before checking again.

• At this point, your starter should be active enough to bake with.

DAY 6

The starter should be fully active at this point. 

This 6 day schedule that I used came from Brod & Taylor. The link has great photos of what it should look like and compares it to a starter that is being created. The link is not an affiliate link, just for reference!

My baking schedule:

Thursday evening —late (8-10 PM) feed sourdough starter. 1:1:1 ratio of 100g starter, 100g flour, 100g water (warm).

Friday morning —when the fed sourdough starter has doubled in size. In a large bowl, add 375g of warm water. Float 100g of fed sourdough starter atop the water (it should float). Add 12-20g of salt and whisk to combine.

Add 500g of flour and combine until a saggy dough forms. Cover the bowl and set aside.

Stretch and fold 4 times during the bulk ferment. I personally do it when the schedule allows.

Friday Afternoon/Evening—When your loaf has increased in size by 80% , it is time to cold ferment. You can shape your dough now and then throw it in the fridge, or just throw it in the fridge.

Your loaf can chill for 24-48 hours. I wait 12 to bake.

Preheat the oven 500, put your Dutch ovens into the oven. Pull out your dough and shape. 15 table rest and then shape again. Back into the fridge until you bake.

1 hour later, pull out your loaf. Score your loaf and put it in the oven. Reduce the heat to 450. Bake covered for 40 min.

After 40 min, take the lids off and reduce the heat to 425. Finish baking for 20 more minutes.

Pull it out of the oven and let it cool.

Enjoy! 🥖