Activating Dried Sourdough Starter

Activating Dried Sourdough Starter

 

Activate dried starter, or start a starter from scratch with no dried starter

STEP 1 

Activation Starter (stiff, no stir)

  • Mix 5g dried starter flakes into 40ml water
  • Let the dried starter soften in the water for about 60 minutes

  • Mix in 60g wholegrain flour to form a soft ball of dough
  • Cover until actively bubbling (1-4 days, no stirring)

  • 22-28C 1-2 days should produce strong activation
  • 14-21C, 2-5 days is more likely

Activating your dried starter 'wakes it up'. The activation starter can make basic bread on its own..

However to increase its strength please repeat the process using 5g of your newly activated starter (in place of the dried starter flakes).

 

STEP 2

Active Starter (stiff starter)

  • Mix 5g activated starter into 40ml water
  • Mix in 60g wholegrain flour to form a soft ball of dough
  • Cover until actively bubbling (1-2 days, no stirring)

  • 22-28C  8-24 hours should produce strong activation
  • 12-21C, 24-48 hours is more likely


..use your (now very active) starter to make a levain

 

STEP 3

Levain (stiff or liquid)

LEVAIN is the same as what some today call ripe or mature Starter. 

However distinguishing STARTER, from LEVAIN is very useful, especially for home bakers who often refrigerate their Starter for a week at a time:

Use the weakened (refrigerated) Starter to make a strong (ideal conditions) LEVAIN

Starter: Kept on hand (possibly in the refrigerator) ready to make LEVAIN from

Levain: Stronger ferment for the final dough (call it ripe or mature starter if you must!)


Stiff LEVAIN - for one loaf

  • Mix 5-30g (experiment) of active starter into 40ml water
  • Add 60g wholegrain flour and mix to form a soft ball of dough
  • Cover until actively bubbling (6-24 hours)

OR

Liquid LEVAIN - for one loaf

  • Mix 5-30g (experiment) of active starter into 50ml water
  • Add 50g wholegrain flour and mix to form a liquid
  • Cover until actively bubbling (5-20 hours)
  • 23-28C, 5-12 hours should produce a strong baking LEVAIN
  • 15-22C, 12-18 hours is likely


Don't overthink it

  • Measurements are generally not critical
    For stiff starter aim to add enough flour or water to create a soft dough

  • Use your starter and levain to introduce novel and wholesome flours to your recipe. Use a flavoursome, healthy flour

  • Stiff starter and levain are STIFF because they contain more flour than water. We have used this method commercially since 2008 and find it very reliable

  • Active starter behaves the same as levain. If you prefer not to make a seperate levain from starter, very active starter will work well instead of levain in the final recipe/bread dough