Starter receival guide

Feeding and continual care of your starter begins on day one. Upon receiving, it will not necessarily be bubbling or look 'alive.' Not to worry, starters never really ever 'die'.

Please note: Sourdough starter is a living entity; it needs regular feeding.

When you receive the starter, mix together the same amount of each flour and water as you have starter. For example, if you have 4 oz. of sourdough starter when receiving, you will want to get 4 oz. water and 4 oz. flour. Then mix it all together with the starter.

This is how you 'feed the starter,' and will need to be done every day. Keep the 1:1:1 ratio for feeding at all times, so as your starter grows, the feeding amount increases. It does not have to be exact measurements, and can be done simply by eyeballing it, if you

cannot get the exact measurements by weight. The consistency should be similar to that of pancake batter. Cover with a towel at first, then as starter begins to rise, you can switch to a lid or something airtight. If you are having trouble getting the starter to wake up after a few days, you can try to feed it a double or triple amount once, that usually does the trick.

Once your starter is bubbling regularly, you can now officially use it! Allow the starter to sit for 4-8 hours after feeding, or once it has appeared to double in volume, before using in a bread recipe. Leaving it out on the counter, it will need to be fed equal parts water

and flour every 12-24 hours....every day. If you wish to store your starter in the refrigerator after feeding, it will require feedings around once a week to stay active. It can, however, be stored up to two months in the fridge without being fed if necessary.

If it appears to separate and get a layer of liquid on top that simply means it is hungry. Once active, you can discard any amount of the starter each day before feeding, this will help with keeping it at a manageable amount. Feel free to experiment with different types of flour and recipes, but it is best to start with all purpose unbleached flour.

PLEASE try to feed your starter immediately upon receiving it. Feed it every 12 hours, for the first 36 hours, while keeping it at room temperature, to get its strength back from the stressful journey. Then every 24 after that, as it can take up to 6 days after receiving, to start being active again. The starter can rise and recede during shipping and may appear as 'not enough.' Not to worry, only a few grams are necessary to be successful.

Feel free to contact me with any questions or concern - joe@LivingDough.com