Welcome to your sourdough journey.

Sourdough Flakes contain a 10+ year aged sourdough culture that simply needs time, flour and water to come back to life.

Real sourdough takes approximately 5–7 days to become fully active and with a clean jar and regular daily feeding, you’ll soon see bubbles forming and your starter rising and doubling in size, ready to bake beautiful artisan bread at home.

You'll need:

  • Sourdough Flakes
  • Filtered or spring water
  • Bakers flour

Bakers Tools:

  • Medium sized clean and sterilised glass jar
  • Non metal spoon
  • Measuring cup and spoon
  • Square of linen or cloth
  • Rubber band
  • Optional - Bakers hat and apron, for style purposes and selfies

READY - SET - REHYDRATE

Day 1 - Rehydrate

Pour Sourdough Flakes into a clean and sterilised medium jar, add 4 tablespoons of lukewarm filtered or spring water and stir. Cover the jar with cloth, allow to dissolve for minimum 60 minutes. Once all flakes are dissolved, stir in 30g of bread flour and cover again. Store on the bench top for 24 hours.

Important bakers note - mould can form if your jar is not clean. Jar must be sterilised prior to using to ensure your starter does not get mouldy.

Day 2 - Feed

Add 2 tablespoons of water and 30g of bread flour and stir thoroughly. Set aside for another 24 hours while you think of your starter name – check out our blog post about naming your starter, it’s bad luck not to have one!

Day 3 - Feed some more

Feed again with 4 tbsp of water and 60g of bread flour. Mix well, cover and set aside. The consistency will resemble pancake batter with fermentation bubbles starting to appear.

Day 4 to 6 - Watch it rise

Your starter is very hungry and active now. Keep feeding with 4 tbsp of water and 60g of bread flour daily and mix very well. After feeding, have some fun and mark the level of your jar with a rubber band, you should notice your starter bubbling, rising and doubling in height in no time.

Day 5 to 7 - Bake! 

Between day 5 and 7, your sourdough starter will rise to double its size and maintain that height, that's when you know it's ready to bake! 

  • Rehydrate

  • Feed

  • Bake

Troubleshooting & FAQ's

No bubbles by Day 3?

That’s normal. Some kitchens are cooler and starters can take a little longer. Keep feeding daily and ensure your jar is kept at room temperature (around 22–26°C). Most starters become active between Day 5–7.

Starter smells sour or tangy?

Perfect. That’s healthy fermentation.

Grey liquid on top?

This is called “hooch” and simply means your starter is hungry. Stir it in and feed as normal.

What is mould?

Mould looks fuzzy, hairy or brightly coloured (green, black, pink). If you see fuzzy growth on the surface or sides of the jar this was likely cause by bacteria in the jar. We recommend discarding the starter and beginning again with a clean, sterilised jar.

To prevent mould:

• Always use a clean, sterilised jar
• Use clean utensils
• Avoid sealing with an airtight lid during activation
• Store in a stable, room-temperature environment

Mould is rare when instructions are followed carefully.

Click below for our full troubleshooting guide:

Troubleshooting & FAQ's

Click the link below to watch the Flake by Flake Sourdough Starter guide: