Drying Sourdough Starter For Long Term Storage
There’s not much to this process. Just smear some fresh sourdough starter in a thin layer over a piece of parchment paper and let dry. Once dry, the starter will easily separate from the paper and can be ground up into small pieces and placed in a plastic ziplock bag.
Store your starter in the freezer for as long as you like. This is not a bad idea, as a routine measure, in order to backup your working batch of starter in case it meets with an unexpected demise.
Note: At the end of the video, I mention that you will find the video for reviving a dried starter below this one. I have since moved it here.
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I have a very simple question. I am about to use my starter for the 1st time, exactly how do I replenish or feed it in order to keep it going? Thank Debbie
I am thinking of freezing some of my starter, and in reading your instrructions, I did not see if it matters if it needs to be fed or not. Can you please tell me, thank you.
Hi Linda,
As long as it’s healthy when you dehydrate it, it doesn’t matter if it’s been fed recently.
I would love to have the whole wheat starter recipe!
I have been making breads of all kinds for years trying many starters. The one I use now I feed with flour and water. I am really interested in making Salt Risen Bread…..does anyone have a good recipe?
the issue of making salt rising bread is that it works at a very high temperature (115-120 degrees F) and uses hydrogen instead of CO2 to make it rise. the culture if you can call it that is milk based and is unpredictable until you figure out.
I would use flour and water only to revive or feed starter. The main thing sugar does is speed up the fermentation process. So unless you’re in a hurry, I’m not sure there’s much need for it. Most of the time I’d rather slow the process than speed it up so more flavor has a chance to develop.
So, for a flour/sugar/water fed starter, would you recommend reviving it with a combination of flour/sugar/water in the same proportions as my normal feed, or still just use flour and water to revive? Thank you SOO much!
My sourdough starter is fed with flour, sugar and water. Most of the starters that I see being discussed are fed only with flour and water. Can mine be dried and stored in the same way?
Jean
Hi Jean,
Sure, the sugar shouldn’t change anything about the way starter can be dried and stored.
Hi Miriam,
That’s really interesting about how your grandmother and her mother stored their starter. Makes sense coming from that time. I think that may be how Flemish Desem starter and bread is managed, starting with balls of starter stored in flour.
Wow, what a neat ‘foodie’ site. My sourdough starter is 52 years old. It was 20 years old when my friend gave it to me and her mother gave it to her – oh yes, she lived in California. You are correct that the taste takes on the local area. When living in the Iron ranges of upper Minnesota the starter took on the most ‘hearty’ flavor [the manganese / iron?] compared to living in Central and Southern MN [shale / lime] ‘smooth / light’ taste. I have frozen my extra sourdough. It is great to hear it can be dried also. My grandmother use to make a ball with the starter I gave her and put it in her flour can with a few inches of flour over it when she wasn’t using it often. She said that is what her mother use to do. Never tried it. I do let cream go bad to the point of putrid chunky every few years and use that for my milk addition. My recipe came with 1 milk, 1 sugar, 1 flour. Stir and leave set.
Tried potato water but it never got foamy bubbles like it does with the milk.
I came to this site looking for the nutritional value of sourdough, thinking it may have some of the good probotics in it…can’t do to much yogurt and no kefer. We make plenty of sourdough items pre winter to ward off any cold germs. Works every year.
Hi Glenn,
I guess I didn’t mention temps partly because I neglected to. But also because for almost all the recipes and purposes I cover on this site, any semi normal room temp will suffice. I know some bread books call for a precise temp for this that or the other, which may be important for trying to accomplish their specific objective, but I’m a lot looser than that. Sometimes when I look at a recipe and it has you jumping through all kinds of hoops, my eyes roll back in my head and I’m off to the next one. This site is mostly for beginners and I don’t want people to give up before they get started. I usually just focus on recipes and methods that are pretty easy and forgiving.
First thanks for the great site….my question is: why don’t you mention what temp you would like a starter that has just been fed and getting ready for a batch to be at while it reconstitutes? Also what temp to leave the first proofing in the bowl after you start the batch…some books suggest a “proofing box” to keep them at 80F or so…your instructional videos which are great, don’t seem to mention temps???
Thanks again,
glenn….
Hi Brain,
I’m not aware of any methods. The dry starter would have to revive and gain strength before it would leaven effectively. I’d be surprised if it would work since it takes several days for this to happen.
Hi there!
Just wondering is there any method of using this type of dried sourdough in in a bread dough without having to revive it? or would the flavour be completely compromised?
thanks for all the helpful ideas on the web site
I was especially grateful to be able to replace the bottom of my la cloche at a reasonable price
I have a sourdough starter that consistently will leaven 100% whole wheat; let me know if you want to try it
the variety of no knead recipes offered is a welcome addition to my arsenal
{=}==
George
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