Choose from any of our sourdough starters below…
I am now sending out all starters in dehydrated form so they can be bought as Christmas presents and can be stored easily without needing to do anything to them – full instructions on how to rehydrate the starters once the recipient wants to start on embarking on their sourdough journey are included. Please let me me if you would like the starter in “wet”, i.e. dough format though.
San Francisco Organic Sourdough Starter
This is the famous San Francisco strain, well known for its sour, tangy taste. It is very active and ferments relatively quickly (compared to the Oxford strain). I find that I use this wild yeast starter when I want to be able to prepare and bake a loaf in one day – i.e. a 12 hour window from taking it out of the fridge to baking the loaf.
This starter has been fed with organic wholemeal flour but you can use any flour you wish to maintain it.
Because the sourdough starter is alive and needs to be handled as per the instructions which you will receive with it, I’m not able to accept any returns unless you get in touch with me if you encounter any problems within 3 days of receipt. Details: 100 grams with maintenance instructions.
Oxfordshire Organic Sourdough Starter
This is a lovely, mild wild yeast starter. It is ideal if you prefer milder tasting sourdoughs. This starter allows you to be very flexible with your timings. You can leave the dough to ferment for long periods, for example overnight, or all day while you are out – without the resulting bread being very sour.
This starter has been fed with organic wholemeal flour but you can use any flour you wish to maintain it.
Because the sourdough starter is alive and needs to be handled as per the instructions which you will receive with it, I’m not able to accept any returns unless you get in touch with me if you encounter any problems within 3 days of receipt. Details: 100 grams with maintenance instructions.
Khorasan Kamut Organic Wild Yeast Sourdough
Wonderful starter made with Khorasan Kamut flour.
German Westphalia Organic Sourdough Starter
Genuine wild yeast sourdough starter from Westphalia in Germany. This sourdough starter was born in the small village of Fuerstenau in North-Rhine Westphalia – the home of sourdough bread, the heart of the German countryside and Hansel and Gretel/Brothers Grimm country. This is where it all started.
This starter has been fed with organic wholemeal flour but you can use any flour you wish to maintain it. I will send you 100g in a zip lock bag with instructions on how to maintain it and a bread recipe.
Organic Rye Sourdough Starter
This incredibly active, wild yeast starter was made with organic rye flour and has been fed with only rye flour ever since although you can use any flour you wish to maintain it.
Because the sourdough starter is alive and needs to be handled as per the instructions which you will receive with it, I’m not able to accept any returns unless you get in touch with me if you encounter any problems within 3 days of receipt.
Egyptian Sourdough Starter
I started this wild yeast sourdough in Soma Bay in Egypt in 2015, using locally grown and milled flour. It is lovely and mild and will be very similar in taste to the sourdough breads baked by the bakers who were feeding the workers who build the pyramids in 2,500BC! After bringing it back from Egypt, this starter has been fed with organic wholemeal flour but you can use any flour you wish to maintain it.
Because the sourdough starter is alive and needs to be handled as per the instructions which you will receive with it, I’m not able to accept any returns unless you get in touch with me if you encounter any problems within 3 days of receipt.
Dorset Organic Sourdough Starter
This lovely mild, wild yeast starter was started by a bakery in Dorset 15 years ago. It has been fed and baked with daily ever since. This starter has been fed with organic wholemeal flour but you can use any flour you wish to maintain it.
Because the sourdough starter is alive and needs to be handled as per the instructions which you will receive with it, I’m not able to accept any returns unless you get in touch with me if you encounter any problems within 3 days of receipt.
| Weight | 0.15 kg |
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| Starters | San Francisco Organic Sourdough Starter, Oxfordshire Organic Sourdough Starter, Khorasan Kamut Wild Yeast Sourdough, German Westphalia Organic Sourdough Starter, Rye Sourdough Starter, Egyptian Sourdough Starter, Dorset Organic Sourdough Starter |
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FAQs
Over the years, I've found keeping the mixture warm at around 80°F (26°C), and high hydration (100% water to flour in baker's percentages) helps get things started. In addition, while not mandatory, using certain flour also helps increase the chances a starter will take hold quickly (see below).
Can I just buy sourdough starter? ›
If you're anti-social, you can also buy sourdough starter from King Arthur Flour and have it shipped to your door. A one-ounce jar of starter will set you back about $9. And even then, mail-order starter will need to adapt to wherever you happen to live (which is why making an at-home starter is preferable).
How long does a sourdough starter take? ›
Creating a healthy and vibrant sourdough starter can take anywhere from 7 to 14 days depending on several factors. The temperature of your kitchen is the most important factor to consider. Starters thrive in a warm environment, ideally around 75°F (24°C).
Do you have to discard sourdough starter every time you feed it? ›
Do I have to discard my sourdough starter? It would be best if you discarded some portion of your starter each time you feed it unless you want to continue to let it grow. Eventually, you need to discard the used “food” (flour and water) that's been used to sustain your starter during the last fermentation period.
What flour is better for sourdough starter? ›
The best flour blend for creating a new sourdough starter is 50% whole-meal flour (whole wheat or whole rye) and 50% bread flour or all-purpose flour. I recommend a 50/50 mix of whole wheat flour and bread flour.
How do I make my starter stronger? ›
Changing the feeding interval, or frequency, is the single most important tool in strengthening a starter. By simply catching your starter near its peak and refeeding at that time, you can significantly strengthen a weak starter.
Is Panera sourdough made with starter? ›
While our business has expanded well beyond St. Louis since then, that same sourdough starter is still used in our iconic sourdough bread and the craft of baking bread fresh each day remains at the heart of Panera Bread.
Is making sourdough cheaper than buying bread? ›
So if you look solely at the ingredients, it is cheaper to make your own sourdough. But if you bring other factors into it - it might not be as cheap. This post aims to show you how you can bake a classic sourdough loaf with a little work and no fancy equipment.
How old is good sourdough starter? ›
Flour Power author Tara Jensen agrees; she emphasizes that your starter's health is more important than its age. “When it comes down to the performance of the starter in a dough, I'd rather use a starter that's a few weeks old and been well kept than an older starter that's been neglected,” she says.
Why do you discard half the sourdough starter? ›
If you don't get rid of the excess, eventually you'll have more starter than your feedings can sustain. After a few days, your daily 1/4 cup flour and water won't be enough to sustain your entire jar of starter, and your starter will be slow and sluggish, not much better than discard itself.
Starter that's kept at room temperature is more active than refrigerated starter, and thus needs to be fed more often. Room-temperature starter should be fed every 12 hours (twice a day) using the standard maintenance feeding procedure: discard all but 113g, and feed that 113g starter with 113g each water and flour.
Can I use sourdough starter straight from the fridge? ›
Yes, you can bake with sourdough starter straight from the fridge | King Arthur Baking.
What happens if you forget to discard starter before feeding? ›
If you didn't discard a portion of your starter each time you feed it, two things would happen: Your starter would grow to an enormous, unmanageable size. Your starter would likely become more and more inhospitable to the bacteria and yeast we want as the mixture would become ever more acidic.
How to tell if sourdough starter is bad? ›
Unless you can see mold on your sourdough starter or it has visible signs of pink or orange, your sourdough starter is not dead! Even if it has thick, dark colored liquid on top - it can still be brought back to life!
Can you use day 1 sourdough discard? ›
Remember, you can't use the discard from your homemade sourdough starter for the first 7 days. You can use sourdough discard in all kinds of sourdough discard recipes, including these no wait sourdough recipes, overnight sourdough discard recipes and sourdough discard recipes that use up a lot of discard.
How to make a very active sourdough starter? ›
10. How do I make my sourdough starter more active?
- Keep your starter warm, 74-76°F (23-24°C) or warmer.
- Use more whole grains in each feeding.
- Feed your starter when it's ripe (not too early, and not too late)
- Don't place it into the refrigerator.
There are two main acids produced in a sourdough culture: lactic acid and acetic acid. Acetic acid, or vinegar, is the acid that gives sourdough much of its tang. Giving acetic acid-producing organisms optimal conditions to thrive and multiply will produce a more tangy finished product.
Does sourdough starter get better the older it is? ›
While the age of your starter won't make your bread any better — turns out, only good sourdough practices can do that — it's a link in the long legacy of sourdough, one of the oldest forms of baking that exists. Whether your starter is a week or a decade old, you can become part of that lineage as well.
How to make 100% sourdough starter? ›
A 100% hydration sourdough starter is a culture which is kept and fed with water and flour at equal weights. Like for instance 5 oz water to 5 oz flour. A 166% hydration starter is fed with equal volume of flour and water, which most typically is one cup of water (8.3 oz) and one cup of flour (5 oz).
