Welcome to the world of Sourdough! Some people say that having a sourdough starter is like having a pet or another child. While I don't think it requires as much work as either of those, there are a few steps to get your starter ready to work with you! ​

*note: a kitchen scale is a great tool to have on hand

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1. In a small bowl, jar or container, combine half of the dehydrated starter (10g) with 50g of warm water. Let it sit, covered, until the dehydrated starter is softened. Stir. then add 50g of flour and 10g of water. Stir again until a paste is made. Cover the container and let sit in a warm place (counter top is fine) for 24 hours. By then, you should see some bubbles on the surface. *note: using a bit of rye flour or any whole grain flour, will help build strong cultures. No worries if you don't have any on hand. I don't use these in my starter. 

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2. Now we feed our starter! Remove half of the starter. You can save this in a separate container and use it for the many sourdough discard recipes - pancakes, cookies, brownies, crackers, etc. To your original starter, add 50g water and 50g of flour. Stir until smooth. Cover and let sit for 12-24hrs.

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3. Continue to feed your starter every  12-24 hours. If you use warm water and put it in a warm spot (be careful it isn't too warm or you will literally bake your starter), fermentation will happen much faster. Once you notice your starter is doubling in volume with lots of bubbles, you can feel confident that your starter is active and ready to bake bread! You should see this by day 3 or 4. 

You have a strong healthy starter. Now what?! You bake! There are so many tutorials and recipes on the internet. My advice: time is everything. You made a few flops? That's ok! I still do sometimes. Be patient, watch for signs, be patient and enjoy the learning journey! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.