I see so many people working so hard and getting SO frustrated by the process of making their own starter. I, myself, was going to try to do it myself at first too, but gave up early as it wasn’t really making much progress.
I ended up buying some dehydrated starter from another sourdough baker and it’s the best decision I ever made. I now dehydrate my own and keep it for emergencies or if someone else needs any.
While I love seeing people be successful building their own colony, I hiiiighly recommend buying from an established source. No shame in the game, imho.
by Enough_Cake_2090
26 Comments
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Am I the only one that’s never had an issue making a starter? Either way, the practice of dehydrating your own is a good idea in case of mold, sharing etc.
I got my initial starter from King Arthur and never looked back (still using it).
I began my own starter last November and have made dozens of great loaves with it since, but I agree that this isn’t necessary. Buying a starter is a great option. I wanted to do the hobby-level thing for my own sake, but if I just wanted to make bread, I probably would’ve gone the more direct route.
I also have a dried starter in the cupboard that I purchased in case something terrible happens to my own. I agree — no shame.
I tried for MONTHS to establish my own starter from scratch, and it literally always fell flat. So I gave up. Then I bought a dehydrated starter a couple months ago and have the BEST results since then. It really loves being fed fresh-milled flour too!
You can also get a live one delivered in 2 days from Amazon for about $20. Then you just need a couple days of doubling the size and you’re good to go.
100% the effort is not worth the small sense of pride from making it from scratch. And it will likely never be as good
Buying a starter is relatively inexpensive and gives you a guaranteed way to start baking loaves quickly. For me it was a no-brainer.
The ‘provenance’ of the starter was also interesting. I completely understand that following generations of yeast and LAB are heavily influenced by the flour i feed it with, but some microrganisms of the original starter will inevitably remain and I find his kind of immortality immensely satisfying.
I’ve bought two from local places- both over 100 years old and I’m so glad it was an option. I can never get my dehydrated to work
Yeah, I tried three times to make my own. Then I got the Carl’s Friends starter and have enjoyed consistent success ever since.
I got my starter from a local bakery just for the asking!
I swear by sourdough sparrows dehydrated starter
that’s how I got started. now I’ve been making bread from that starter every week for 5 years. I paid $2.99 including shipping
I bought my starter on Etsy for $10. I have been baking with it for the past year. Zero regrets I started out this way. Sourdough is challenging enough without trying to figure out if your home science experiment will pan out or make you sick. Same with this. A jar and cloth would work, but these are awfully convenient- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BHWNZMMD?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details
I bought mine… it just started “growing” and doubling. I have wanted to make some for a long while and the whole process is daunting. So many different takes depending on who you talk to. I am not ashamed. I want to learn more but I don’t think I could have made the starter from scratch reliably.
Usually you can just get an active one from a neighbor (post it on nextdoor), or from a local bakery for free
I also got a dehydrated starter 3 months ago and have been making loaves ever since!! No regrets at all especially when I failed many times making my own starter.
From zero to hero, i got my starter working in two weeks. Wasn’t hard at all, i fed it about half kilo of rye flour in the process. I didn’t even know they sell dehydrated
What? And give up trying a 4 week science experiment which may end in disaster?
Honestly, I have tried multiple times to make a starter and months of effort always ends up with nothing to show for it. I just bought a fresh starter from King Arthur Baking and I almost cried! It’s been so easy to work with. The texture is perfect and it makes delicious sourdough (at least the first loaf was great!)
Agree 100p. I got mine from Etsy. Strong starter! So happy w it
my starter was created on accident
I made donuts and had leftover yeast mixture. It was frothing and bubbling and just surging with the will to live, so I kept feeding it flour and water.
It’s been >4months, I named it breadna and she lives in my fridge
This 100%!! I can’t emphasize it enough. Tried for months to get my starter right. Then finally caved and bought the ballerina farm starter and bam my life is changed
Is there a recommended way to dehydrate your own starter?
I regularly will dehydrate a jar and mix the new with the previous. I’ve got my white flour, whole wheat and rye starters just in case. I usually give 30-40g of dehydrated starter with 50g of freshly fed, ready starter.
Whole dark rye flour can get a starter going strong in a week.