Category Archives: preservation

Rehydrate dehydrated sourdough starter

Day 1

  • In a small bowl or jar, mix the 2 grams of dehydrated sourdough starter with 6 grams of 80°F water.
  • Allow the starter to sit for approx 2 hours, or until the dried starter dissolves.
  • Stir in 6 grams of flour.
  • Loosely cover and let sit overnight at approx 78°F, or for 12-14 hrs.

This is using a 1:3:3 ratio on Day 1 to kick things off. Adjust as necessary if you have more than 2 grams of dehydrated starter. For example, for 5 grams of dehydrated starter, you would use 15 grams of water and 15 grams of flour in the above steps.

Day 2

  • Without discarding what is in the bowl or jar, stir in 10 grams of flour and 10 grams of water.
  • Loosely cover and let sit overnight at approx 78°F, or for 12-14 hrs.

Day 3

  • Without discarding what is in the bowl or jar, stir in 10 grams of flour and 10 grams of water.
  • Loosely cover and let sit overnight at approx 78°F, or for 12-14 hrs.

Day 4

Your starter should have risen since the last feeding and you should see bubbles.

  • Discard all but 15 grams of the starter.
  • Add 30 grams of flour and 30 grams of water.
  • Loosely cover and let sit overnight at approx 78°F, or for 12-14 hrs.

Day 5

  • Discard all but 15 grams of the starter.
  • Add 30 grams of flour and 30 grams of water.
  • After approx. 7 hrs your starter should have tripled in size. If not, check again in an hour or two.
  • At this point your starter should be fully active and ready to create a levain.

Maintanence

Here are a couple of great guides for how to maintain your starter:
https://www.theperfectloaf.com/how-do-i-feed-my-sourdough-starter/
https://www.theperfectloaf.com/keeping-a-smaller-sourdough-starter-to-reduce-waste/

I use a 1:4:4 ratio for my regular sourdough maintenance. (1 part active starter, 4 parts flour, 4 parts water.)

The Rise, Decline, and Rise of Food Preservation

Back in March, my friend Ernest Miller (of Rancho La Merced Provisions) gave the below presentation for the Culinary Historians of Southern California. Ernest is the lead instructor for the Master Food Preserver program for Los Angeles County. So if you have 50 minutes check out his talk. I’m sure you’ll learn somthing (I did working with him in LA).