Welcome to Your 100 Year Old Family Starter

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Step 1: Wake Her Up
Empty your entire 0.5 oz (14g) dried starter into a glass or plastic bowl.
If there are larger flakes, gently crush them with your fingers or a spoon. They’ll dissolve either way, but smaller pieces wake up faster. Sometimes you may have a little more than 14g. That is perfectly fine. One gram will not make or break your bread.
Use glass or plastic if possible. Stainless steel is fine. Avoid reactive metal bowls because fermentation can be a little spicy.

Step 2: Add Warm Water
Pour 1 oz (28g) of warm water over the flakes. Ideal temperature: 80 to 85 degrees.
Not hot. Not boiling. Think “baby bath warm.” Stir gently. The flakes may take a few hours to fully dissolve. That’s normal. Just stir every so often until smooth.
Cover loosely with a lid. Do not seal it tight. She needs air.

Pro tip: Use a marker or rubber band to mark the starter level on the jar. Watching her rise is part of the magic.

Step 3: First Feeding
After about 2 to 4 hours, add:
0.5 oz (14g) flour
Stir well. Cover loosely again.
Place somewhere warm. Ideal temperature is 70 to 85 degrees.
Good spots:
• Oven with the light on
• On top of your fridge
• Near a warm window
Be careful with newer ovens. Some oven lights get too hot and can cook your starter. If it feels warm inside, crack the oven door slightly and check on her.
Too hot will kill her. Warm and cozy brings her back to life.

Step 4: Wait for Bubbles
Now we wait.
You may see bubbles in 8 to 12 hours.
Sometimes it’s faster.
Sometimes it takes longer.
If you don’t see bubbles by 24 hours, don’t panic. Just move to the next feeding.
Fermentation moves on its own time. This starter has survived 100 years. She knows what she’s doing.

Step 5: Feed Again
Add:
0.5 oz (14g) water
0.5 oz (14g) flour
Do not discard yet.
Stir. Cover loosely. Keep her warm.
You’re looking for bubbles and growth. Ideally she will double in size.
Whole wheat, rye, and einkorn may not fully double because they’re heavier flours. That’s normal. You still want visible rise and strong bubbling.
Mark the jar and watch her grow.

Step 6: Now We Discard
Once she’s active, you can discard half and feed again.
Your discard is not trash.
Use it for pancakes, crackers, waffles, or flatbread.
Nothing wasted in this kitchen.

Step 7: She’s Ready When…
Your starter is ready to bake when:
• She doubles in size consistently
• Or a spoonful floats in water
• And she smells pleasantly tangy, not rotten
At that point, welcome to the sourdough life.
You can now move to a regular feeding schedule. See our regular feeding guide here: [Insert Link]

Step 8: If She’s Being Stubborn
If you still don’t see activity:
Take out 1 to 2 oz (28 to 56g)
Feed at a 1:1:1 ratio
Example:
1 oz starter
1 oz water
1 oz flour
Wait 4 to 12 hours depending on warmth.
In winter, it can take up to 24 hours. Cold kitchens move slower. That does not mean she’s dead.
Patience wins.

Step 9: Still Need Help?
Visit our video link for visual instructions.
If you need one on one help, reach out. We keep this starter alive together.
You’re not just buying starter.
You’re joining a kitchen tradition!

Step 10: If You Love Her…
Please leave a review. It helps our small farm more than you know.
Thank you for keeping this 100 year old legacy alive.

Welcome to the sourdough family.