Dried starter activation

Bringing your dehydrated sourdough starter to life is easy, all it needs is water, warmth, and a little patience. Here's how to get started:

What You'll Need

Clean mason jar (glass is best for watching the magic happen)
Digital kitchen scale (accuracy is important!)
Filtered, tepid water (around 27 °C is ideal. Tap water is ok too)
Spoon or spatula for stirring
Lid (placed loosely) or a clean cloth to cover the jar

Step-by-Step Activation

  1. Weigh the dehydrated starter
    Place your clean mason jar on the scale and add your dehydrated starter (lumps, bits and all!). Note the weight in grams (e.g. 50 g).
  2. Add equal weight of water
    Add filtered water in the same weight as your dehydrated starter (e.g. 50 g water for 50 g starter).
  3. Mix thoroughly
    Stir until fully dissolved and the mixture is smooth. You should see a cloudy slurry forming.
  4. Cover loosely
    Place the lid on top of the jar without tightening it (to allow gases to escape), or cover with a clean cloth.
  5. Let it rest in a warm spot
    Place the jar somewhere warm—ideally around 24-27 °C—out of direct sunlight. Avoid cold drafts or overly hot appliances.

🎥 Watch: Activate Your Gluten Free Starter

Prefer to follow along visually? Watch our step-by-step video guide below where we walk you through the exact process of bringing your gluten free starter to life.

Tip: Have your tools and starter ready, then pause the video as you go, it makes the whole process easier and far less stressful.

⏳ What Happens Next?—We’ll guide you through that in starter care.

You can also watch the video below. After 12–24 hours, you’ll begin to see signs of life: tiny bubbles, a mild yeasty smell, or a slight rise. That means your starter is waking up! From there, continue feeding it with equal weights of flour and water to build its strength. 

🎥 Watch: Feed and build up your starter ready to bake

Prefer to follow along visually? Watch our step-by-step video guide below where we walk you through the exact process of building up your activated starter for baking and creating a backup.

Tip: Have your tools and starter ready, then pause the video as you go, it makes the whole process easier and far less stressful.

If you're doing this for the first time and think something isn't quite right, get in contact with our support at ohcrumb@doughmygod.com.au