Dehydrating and Rehydrating Sourdough Starter: A How To Guide

Whether you are dehydrating or rehydrating sourdough starter this comprehensive guide is for you. While a sourdough starter is almost indestructible, life happens and sometimes a backup is necessary. Whether you’ve shattered the jar, neglected it to the point of mold, or accidentally baked it in the oven it’s no biggie if you have dried starter on hand!

In this post, you will learn everything you need to know about dehydrating a sourdough starter, and then how to rehydrate it again! Whether you want to keep extra dried starter on hand for the “just in case moments” or to be able to give it away to friends and family, this post will have everything you need to know! 

What is a dehydrated sourdough starter?

Dehydrated sourdough starter is exactly what it sounds like, a sourdough starter that has been dried to make it last inevitably. A dehydrated starter can be stored away in a safe place for long-term storage and does not need to be maintained like a live starter does. 

If you do not have a sourdough starter yet, you can easily make one with this Easy Sourdough Starter recipe with just flour and water! Or even easier, you can use a dehydrated starter to make your sourdough starter.

Why would you want to dehydrate your sourdough starter?

Dehydrating your starter preserves the wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria, this is what causes the starter to bubble and gives your baked goods a natural rise. Dehydrating doesn’t kill the yeast and bacteria, rather it goes into a “dormant” state that can later be re-activated. Having dehydrated starter is like an insurance policy on your sourdough! Sometimes things happen, like you accidentally drop your starter jar, bake it in the oven, it goes bad and develops mold, or someone throws it away! Having the dried starter ensures that you can easily create a new starter without having to start from scratch. 

Dehydrated starter is also really easy to give away to friends and family who want to start their own sourdough journey. It could also be a great gift for someone who wants to be a sourdough baker when paired with other items from this sourdough gift guide! 

Country Roads Sourdough Online Class

If you want to get started with sourdough baking, you can enroll in my online course to learn everything you need to know about baking sourdough. Plus I will send you some of my 100+ year old sourdough starter that has been dehydrated (if you live in the USA) !

My online class will teach you how to make delicious artisan bread from home on any schedule and at any skill level. Set yourself up for success with clear, concise explanations, easy to follow recipes, and a few extra bonuses. Plus, get access to my private mentoring group and my eBook All Roads Lead to Sourdough.

Enroll in my Sourdough Master Class here! 

Tools to dehydrate sourdough starter

• Sheet pan– This is the perfect flat surface to spread your starter out very thin.
• Parchment paper or silicone baking mat – I recommend using a silicone baking mat as it makes it easier to spread the starter since the mat grips to the counter keeping it in place.
• Spatula – The key is to get your starter very thin and a spatula does just the trick! You can use a silicone spatula or even an offset spatula would work great. 

Ingredients to make a dehydrated starter

All you will need is an active and bubbly sourdough starter! (Need help understanding the sourdough starter life cycle? Read this post!) 

You do not need to dry tons of starter unless you are going to be giving it to others. When reactivating starter you only need 5 grams so 20-30 grams of dried starter should be plenty!

Instructions to make a dehydrated sourdough starter

First, it is important to use an active and mature sourdough starter. Ideally, you want to use a starter that has been recently fed and is at peak to ensure an active yeast colony.

Take about 100-200 grams of your active starter and spread it out very thin on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. The thicker it is the longer it will take to dry so be sure to get it as thin as you can. 

Place a second sheet of parchment paper overtop and use your hands to continue to spread the starter out or use a spatula to spread it out.

Then, leave the starter to dry. I usually wait at least 24 hours but it may take more or less time to be completely dry. You can also use a dehydrator to speed up the process. Just make sure the temperature is below 98.6F so you don’t kill the good bacteria.

Once completely dried, break up the starter. I like to run it through the blender to break it up into very small pieces as that makes it easier when I’m rehydrating it. You want to blend it until it is a powder consistency. 

Storing dehydrated sourdough starter

Store your dehydrated sourdough starter in a dry, cool place in an airtight container. I recommend storing in a mason jar. I recommend swapping out your dehydrated starter once a year for freshness.

Rehydrating a dry sourdough starter

Dry sourdough starter can easily be rehydrated to reactivate the colony of natural yeast. All you need to do is add water and give it new flour to feed on and soon you will be baking loaves of bread! You only need a small portion of dried starter to get it going again. 

Tools to rehydrate your sourdough starter

• Glass jar – I prefer a wide mouth jar because it is easier to mix.
• Kitchen Scale – Using a kitchen scale helps you take the guesswork out and easily get accurate measurements. This is a tool that will come in handy when baking bread too!
• Spoon or spatula – To stir the mixture. 

Ingredients to rehydrate a sourdough starter

• Dehydrated sourdough starter
• Water– Tap or filtered water works 
• Unbleached flour – I recommend all-purpose flour or bread flour but you can also make a starter with other flours such as whole wheat or rye)

Instructions to rehydrate a dried sourdough starter

Mix 5-10 grams of dried starter and 20 grams of water in a jar.

Let it sit covered for at least 30 minutes or longer to let the starter dissolve. Sometimes the bigger chunks won’t completely dissolve, and that is fine.

Add 20 grams of unbleached flour and stir until combined.

Cover and leave for 24 hours on the counter. It most likely is not going to have any activity.

Discard all but 10 grams of starter and feed it 20 grams each of flour and water.

Cover and repeat the process every 24 hours until the starter is doubling in size and bubbling. This should only take a week to reactivate. However I have found if you dehydrate a starter fed with non organic flour and reactivate with organic flour it may extend the time it takes to reactivate the starter.

Rehydrating troubleshooting and tips 

• Keep your starter on the counter in a warm spot. It will be happiest between 77-85F. If you find your starter to not be very active, ensure it is warm enough. You can use a warming mat (use code country10 for 10% off), inside the microwave or in the oven with the oven light on. These are all good options (just be sure to not turn on your oven when the starter is inside).
• Cover the jar but not airtight. I recommend using the mason jar lid but do not screw it on all the way.
• Use room temperature water. If the water is too cold it will slow down the fermentation process. 
• Be sure to use unbleached flour for best results. If your starter is struggling add 5-10 grams of rye or whole wheat flour.
• You will need to feed your starter once a day to reactive it. After your starter is consistently doubling in size and bubbly, you can store it in the fridge so you do not have to feed it as often. 

What to do with an active starter

Once your starter is consistently doubling in size and bubbling, it is officially active! At this point, you can either continue daily feedings, or you can place it in the fridge to slow down the fermentation. This makes it so you do not have to feed it as often, only about every 7-10 days. If you plan on baking daily you can keep your starter on the counter, otherwise I recommend keeping it in the refrigerator to keep it simple! 

Favorite sourdough recipes

Now that you have rehydrated your starter, you have an active sourdough starter that you can start making bread with! Did you know that you can use sourdough in a wide variety of baked goods? You can even use your sourdough discard to make all sorts of recipes!

Recipes with your active starter:

• Artisan Sourdough bread – This is my simple sourdough bread recipe that is perfect for beginners. 
• Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls – Soft rolls with gooey cinnamon filling and cream cheese frosting. Or check out my Cookies and Cream Sourdough Chocolate Rolls recipe. 
• Sourdough Bagels – Chewy bagels with a variety of toppings that are naturally leavened with sourdough starter! 

Recipes with your sourdough discard:

• Fluffy Sourdough Pancakes – These pancakes are so soft and fluffy! Made with sourdough discard for a delicious sourdough flavor. 
• Sourdough Crackers – Make crackers with your sourdough discard like homemade Goldfish, Cheez-Its, Animal Crackers, and this Easy Seeded Discard Cracker!
• Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies – Soft, chewy, and full of chocolate in every bite, this is your new go-to cookie recipe!