Sourdough starter is one of the greatest pleasures in life. Okay, you can’t have sourdough starter alone, you need to make it into something, but once you do, oh my heavens! It gets addicting! However, no matter how careful you are with your starter, accidents do happen. Prepare for anything by learning how to easily dehydrate sourdough starter.
This post may contain affiliate links which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link! You can find my full Disclaimer here.
Why You May Want to Dehydrate Sourdough Starter
Making sourdough starter is a task in itself you can learn how to do that here. But once you get the hang of it it’s smooth sailing.
But what happens if you have an accident with it? Yes, it happens. I’ve burnt mine while trying to keep it warm on the stove. My son also accidentally knocked a jar of it off the shelf. Fortunately, I had a stash of dehydrated starter so I always have some handy when these accidents did occur.
Or maybe, like me, wanted to share the delicious addiction with others and want to sell it. You can find my dehydrated starter here.
There are many reasons why you may want to dehydrate your starter so let’s get started.
What you Need to Dehydrate Sourdough Starter
- At Least Six Month Old Healthy and Active Starter
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mat
- Spatula
- Baking Sheet
How to Dehydrate Sourdough Starter
In order to dehydrate sourdough starter, you need to start with a healthy, active starter that is at least 6 months old. Active meaning: It doubles in size in 4-6 hours after one feeding, it is bubbly and passes the float test.
Start by feeding your active starter at least 12 hours prior.
On a baking sheet layered with parchment paper or a silicone mat, spread out a thin even layer of starter. You don’t want it so thin that it is almost see through, but a decent thin layer will allow it to dry quickly. The thicker the layer, the longer it will take.
Once you have the layers spread evenly, simply set the baking sheets in the oven with the light on, oven off, and let them dry for about 24-48 hours. Again, the thicker the layers, the longer it will take.
And honestly that is it! It’s a super simple process, just takes some patience for the starter to dry. You could use a dehydrator for this instead of the oven, but you can do your own research on that.
Once the starter is dehydrated, you will see that the color has changed from wet to dry and it will crumble in your hand.
From there you can remove it from the parchment paper and store it in an airtight container. I use a mason jar for this and stick it in the cupboard away from little hands.
And there you have, an easy way to dehydrate sourdough starter and have a stockpile for rainy days, selling/gifting, or for those “just in case” days.
To Rehydrate Sourdough Starter
When you are ready to rehydrate your starter, simply add 5 grams of dehydrated starter to 2 tablespoons of warm water. Let the starter dissolve in the water, this may take a few hours.
Once the water is chalky and there are no large pieces of starter, add 1/4 cup of flour and a 1/4 cup of warm water to the jar. Stir, and wait 12-24 hours. Then add 1/2 cup of flour and a 1/2 cup of warm water to the jar, stir and wait 12-24 hours. Repeat the process until your starter is rising and doubling in size. It should take 3-5 days to bring your starter back to life and ready for baking again.
If you are looking for a tasty sourdough bread recipe, try this easy no knead sourdough bread great for beginners!
Until next time,
