Did you know you can dry Sourdough Starter?

For a long time, I’ve kept a back-up sourdough starter in my fridge just in case I killed the one I use regularly. This back-up starter sat there, neglected, taking up a valuable kitchen container and fridge space. Well, you don’t have to do that. You can dry the starter, bag it up, and then reconstitute it when you need it. This is a tip I learned from my mother-in-law. (Thank you Leslie, you’re the best!!) And now, I’m passing it on to you. It’s super easy.

How to dry your sourdough starter

1. Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap or use a silicone baking mat.
2. When it’s time to discard some active, bubbly starter, pour some out over the prepared baking sheet Use a spatula to spread it into a thin layer.
3. Leave this tray at room temperature for a couple of days until it is completely dried. You will be able to tell by looking it at.
4. Remove the starter from the sheet pan and bag it up.

How to use dry sourdough starter

1. Mix 1 ounce dried sourdough starter with 1/4 cup lukewarm water.  Let the dry sourdough starter dissolve, stirring occasionally.  This will take up to 3 hours.
2. Whisk in about 1/4 cup all-purpose flour.  It should be the consistency of pancake batter.  Add more water or flour as needed.
3. Leave this out at 65-80 F until it starts bubbling (1-2 days).  
4. “Feed” it without discarding any: Mix in 1/4 cup flour with about 1/8-1/4 cup lukewarm water.  It should, again, be a pancake batter consistency.
5. The next day, discard or use (bread, waffles, crepe batter, etc) half of the starter.  Feed it again with flour and lukewarm water to a ratio of 1:1:1.
6. Continuing using and feeding your starter daily.  If you skip a day, no big deal, just start feeding it again.  If you plan on baking more sporadically, you can store the starter in the fridge and pull it out to feed 1-2 days before you plan on baking.

And one more little trick….
Sometimes, my starter will be a little sluggish. Maybe a forgot to feed it for longer than I want to admit. Or I was running low on all-purpose flour and kind of skimped on it’s mealtime for awhile…. When this happens, I sprinkle in a little dry starter powder (from the bottom of the bag) during feeding to give it a boost. Works like a charm everytime.