How to Activate Sourdough Starter

Life gets busy, and sometimes the fridge becomes sourdough starters temporary home. Bringing your starter back to life is simple, and this guide will show you how to activate sourdough starter it for the best possible results.

Activating your starter gives wild yeasts in your culture a boost, so they're ready to rise, ferment and prove your loaf. This makes better bread: a more pronounced sourdough flavor, a beautiful rise, and a dependable performance. 😉

Tools

• Rubber Spatula: A long-handled spatula keeps your hands clean while mixing the jar, and scraping sides.
• Jar: Choose a wide mouth jar to minimize dried starter buildup.
• Kitchen Scale: Accurate measurements are important for consistent results. A simple, affordable scale is a wise investment. I bought mine for $10 on amazon. If you don't have a kitchen scale, use tablespoon;)
• Flour: Organic flour (Central Milling, King Arthur, Bob's Red Mill) is a budget-friendly option that nourishes your starter well. Bread flour with a higher protein content (around 11-13%) provides more nutrients for the yeast. If you're using all-purpose flour or whole wheat, it might take a little longer for the starter to activate.
• Water: Filtered or spring water avoids chemicals that can harm your starter. Chlorinated water inhibits bacteria growth... And we are growing good bacteria!

Why Weigh?

Using a scale is far more accurate than cups and tablespoons, especially for small quantities. The water-to-flour ratio (hydration) significantly impacts dough consistency and bread quality. So ditch the guesswork and embrace the scale this time!

Welcome Back from the Cold: Take your starter out of the fridge. You'll likely see a dark liquid on top – the harmless "hooch." Discard most of it, leaving a thin layer. Stir well to reincorporate any settled bits.

How To Activate Sourdough Starter

Initial Feeding: Use a 1:1:1 ratio (starter:water:flour) by weight. For example, if you have 50 grams of starter, add 50 grams each of water and flour. Mix well in your clean jar.

Starter	50 grams	3.5 Tablespoons
Water	50 grams	3.5 Tablespoons
Flour	50 grams	6 Tablespoons

Warm Up: Cover the jar loosely (a breathable lid is ideal) and place it in a warm spot (around 70°F) for 24 hours. The sluggish yeast need time to wake up and metabolize the fresh flour.

Signs of Life: After 24 hours, your starter should be bubbly, well-risen, and have bubbles evenly distributed throughout. If it's still flat and lifeless, repeat the initial feeding.

Testing for Readiness: Now it's time to see if your starter is ready to bake. Take 14 grams (1 tablespoon) of starter, mix it with 28 grams each of water and flour in your jar. Mark the starting level with a rubber band. Let it rest in a warm spot for 4 hours.

Starter	14 grams	1 tablespoon
Water	28 grams	2 tablespoons
Flour	28 grams	3.5 tablespoons

The Double Check: Has your starter doubled in size? If so, it's on the right track. Repeat this step – feeding, marking, and observing the rise – until your starter doubles predictably within 4-6 hours. This signifies peak activity and baking readiness.

Prepare for Baking: For optimal results, feed your starter every time it reaches its peak the day before baking. This strengthens the yeast and encourages deeper, sweeter flavors. Use a higher flour-to-water ratio (like 2:1:1) to ensure it has enough food for overnight growth.

Sourdough Starter	50 grams	3.5 tablespoons
Water	25 grams	1.5 tablespoons
Flour	50 grams	3.5 tablespoons

Signs of a Ready Active Starter

• Even distribution of bubbles
• Thick and viscous consistency
• Sweet aroma (not overly acidic)
• Predictable and dependable rise

When to Use a Cold Starter

Experienced bakers familiar with their cold starters can sometimes use sourdough starter straight from the fridge, especially in discard recipes, like sourdough cornbread, that don't rely on sourdough for leavening.

But, for best results in your sourdough loaves, follow this activation process for a stronger, more predictable starter!

Troubleshooting

My starter isn't bubbly after 24 hours:

• Temperature: Sourdough yeast thrives in warm environments (around 70°F). If your kitchen is cool, place your jar near a warm appliance (like a preheated oven).
• Patience is Key: Sometimes, even with ideal conditions, it can take a few days for your starter to show signs of life. Don't be discouraged! Keep feeding it every 12-24 hours until you see bubbles.

My starter is bubbly, but the bubbles are only on top:

This is a sign that your starter isn't well-mixed. When feeding, ensure you scrape down the sides of the jar and incorporate any settled starter back into the mix. A good stir ensures even distribution of yeast and nutrients throughout the starter.

My starter is very sour:

A slightly sour smell is normal for sourdough starter. However, an overpowering sourness indicates an imbalance in the bacterial culture.

This could be due to discarding too much starter during feeding. Try discarding less starter and keeping more of the active culture.

Feeding your starter more frequently (every 12 hours instead of 24) can also help to dilute acidity.

My starter has dark liquid on top (Hooch):

It's not dead! This dark liquid, called hooch, is a harmless byproduct of sourdough fermentation. You can just discard most of it before feeding, but leaving a thin layer provides continuity for the culture.

My starter has mold:

Unfortunately, if you see mold growing on your starter, it's best to discard it and start over. Mold means your starter was contaminated by unwanted spores. Make sure you're using clean utensils and jars during feeding to minimize the risk of contamination.;)

Feeding Schedule

After you activate sourdough starter, you'll need to feed it regularly to maintain its strength. How often you feed depends on how often you plan to bake.

If you bake frequently (every few days), you can feed your starter every day or every other day. If you bake less often (once a week or so), you can store your starter in the refrigerator and feed it once a week.

Storage

After you activate sourdough starter and use it, feed it again and store it in the refrigerator in a loosely covered jar. When you're ready to use it again, take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. You might need to feed it a couple of times before it becomes active again.