From our hands to your kitchen
Simple. Ancient. Alive.
Everything you need to know to go from a packet of freeze-dried culture to a bubbling, bake-ready starter — in three days or less.
Shop the Starter
From our hands to your kitchen
Everything you need to know to go from a packet of freeze-dried culture to a bubbling, bake-ready starter — in three days or less.
Shop the Starter
The Process
No shortcuts. No fillers. Just a living culture ready to do what it has always done.
Pick your starter and any provisions you love. We carefully pack and ship your order in a protective envelope straight to your door — no refrigeration needed in transit.
Follow our step-by-step activation guide below. Within 1–3 feedings your starter will be bubbling, fragrant, and fully awake — ready to leaven your first loaf.
Use your active starter to bake wild, open-crumbed sourdough — or anything that calls for a natural leavener. Feed it regularly and it will live for generations.
Step-by-Step
Your starter arrives in a deep, protected sleep. Here's how to wake it up.
Open your packet and tip the entire contents into a clean jar (at least 500ml). Add 50g of lukewarm water (around 25°C / 77°F — not hot) and stir vigorously until fully dissolved. Add 50g of unbleached all-purpose or bread flour and stir until no dry flour remains. Cover loosely with a cloth or lid left slightly ajar. Leave at room temperature (ideally 22–26°C) for 24 hours.
You may already see bubbles forming and notice a mild, slightly tangy aroma — that's your cultures beginning to ferment. Discard half of the starter (roughly 50g) and feed again with 50g water + 50g flour. Stir well and leave covered for another 24 hours. Don't worry if you see very little activity yet — some starters take an extra day to fully re-hydrate.
By now you should see robust bubbling activity, a domed or slightly risen profile, and a pleasantly sour, yeasty smell. Discard half again and feed with 50g water + 50g flour. Wait 4–8 hours after this feeding. When your starter has roughly doubled in size and passes the float test, it's ready to bake with.
Once active, feed your starter at least once a week if stored at room temperature, or once a month if kept in the refrigerator. To store long-term, feed it, let it peak, then refrigerate. When you're ready to bake again, remove it the night before and give it a feeding to wake it back up. Treated with care, your starter can last a lifetime — and beyond.
Why It Matters
Most commercially dried starters use heat to remove moisture — a fast, cheap process that damages the delicate microbial cultures responsible for flavor and leavening. You end up with something that technically rehydrates, but lacks the depth and activity of a truly wild ferment.
"We use a specialized freeze-drying process that puts our active cultures into a deep sleep, preserving their strength and flavor profile without the damage caused by heat."
Freeze-drying removes moisture at sub-zero temperatures under a vacuum, leaving the cell structure of each organism intact. When you add water, the cultures wake up exactly as they were — wild, diverse, and ready to ferment.
Standard Drying
High heat kills a portion of the active cultures. Surviving strains are stressed and depleted, leading to sluggish activation and reduced flavor complexity.
Our Method
Sub-zero drying preserves the full microbial community intact. Cultures wake up exactly as captured — robust, diverse, and deeply flavored.
Answers that turn curiosity into confidence.
Most starters are fully active within 2–3 days. Some warmer kitchens see activity as early as Day 1. Cooler environments (below 20°C) can take 4–5 days. The key variables are temperature, flour type, and water quality. Whole wheat or rye flour tends to accelerate early fermentation.
Unbleached all-purpose or bread flour works perfectly for regular maintenance. Whole wheat and rye flour both contain more wild yeast and bacteria on the bran, which can accelerate activity — especially useful during the first few feedings. Avoid bleached flour, as the chemical treatment can inhibit fermentation.
Don't panic — this is common, especially in cooler kitchens. First, check the temperature. If your kitchen is below 20°C, move the jar somewhere warmer (the top of a refrigerator or inside a switched-off oven with just the light on both work well). Second, try switching to whole wheat flour for the next feeding, as it activates the culture more quickly. Give it one more full 24-hour cycle before worrying.
That grey or dark liquid is called "hooch" — it's alcohol produced by your starter when it's hungry. It means your starter is ready for a feeding. You can stir it back in (for a more sour flavor) or pour it off before feeding. It's completely harmless and a normal sign of a healthy, active culture.
Absolutely. Sourdough starter can be used in pancakes, waffles, pizza dough, focaccia, flatbreads, crackers, muffins, and even pasta. The discard from your regular feedings is perfect for these uses — it adds a subtle tanginess and depth of flavor that commercial yeast simply can't replicate.
Indefinitely, with proper care. Many of the world's most beloved sourdoughs are baked with starters that are decades — even centuries — old. Refrigerate your starter between bakes and feed it at least once a month to keep it healthy. As long as you don't let it go too long without feeding, your starter is essentially immortal.
Grab your starter kit and join thousands of home bakers keeping the craft alive — one loaf at a time.
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