How to Rehydrate Your Sourdough Starter
Day-by-Day Guide
Your Sourdough Flakes contain a dehydrated culture that's been aged for over a decade. Once rehydrated and fed, it becomes a fully active sourdough starter ready to leaven bread, pizza bases, flatbreads and more. The process takes 5–7 days and we'll walk you through every one of them.
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Reviving a starter for the first time? We'll walk you through it. One short email each morning for 7 days — what your starter should look like that day, what's normal, and what to do if something seems off.
No spam, no newsletter — just 7 days of starter help, then we leave you to bake.
You'll need
- Sourdough Flakes (your pack)
- Filtered or spring water
- Bakers flour (bread flour works best)
- A medium glass jar
- A non-metal spoon
- A square of cloth or paper towel and a rubber band
Day 1 - Rehydrate
Pour your Sourdough Flakes into a medium jar. Add 4 tablespoons of lukewarm filtered or spring water and stir. Cover with cloth and allow to dissolve for at least 60 minutes. Once dissolved, stir in 30g of bread flour, cover again, and store on the bench for 24 hours.
Day 2 - First feed
Add 2 tablespoons of water and 30g of bread flour. Stir thoroughly, cover, and set aside for another 24 hours. This is a good time to name your starter - it's tradition, and it's bad luck not to.
Day 3 - Feed again
Add 4 tablespoons of water and 60g of bread flour. Mix well, cover and set aside. The consistency will start to resemble pancake batter and you may see the first fermentation bubbles appearing.
Day 4–6 - Watch it rise
Your starter is getting hungry and active. Feed daily with 4 tablespoons of water and 60g of bread flour, mixing well each time. Mark the level of your jar with a rubber band after feeding - you'll start to see it bubble, rise, and double in height.
Day 5–7 - Ready to bake
When your starter reliably doubles in height within a few hours of feeding and holds that height, it's ready. That's your signal to bake.
What to bake first?
Sourdough Bread Recipe · Sourdough Lavosh Recipe · FAQs
Starter alive? Bake something worth the wait.
Get a short daily email guiding your first week of baking — from your first feed to your first loaf, straight to your inbox.
Ready to take your starter further?
Once you've got your starter active, The Sourdough Pizza Cookbook by George Musat has everything you need to make an authentic sourdough pizza base at home - and the toppings to go on it. 26 pages of artisan recipes designed for a standard home oven.
Loved your Sourdough Flakes?
We'd love a review on Amazon - it helps other bakers find us. And if you share your first bake on Instagram, tag us @sourdoughflakes.
Questions? Email us at hello@sourdoughflakes.com - we'd love to hear from you.
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Rehydrate
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Feed
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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: