Bringing Your Starter Back to Life: A Gentle Guide to Rehydrating Your Dehydrated Sourdough Starter

There’s something timeless about sourdough — the way it connects us to slow traditions, seasonal rhythms, and the wild yeast floating in the air around us. At Willow House Goods, I’ve preserved a bit of that magic in every packet of dehydrated sourdough starter. And now it’s your turn to wake it up.

This guide expands on the rehydration card included in your kit, giving you a bit more background and context so you can feel confident every step of the way.

What You’ll Need to Get Started

Day 1: Waking up your starter

  • In a clean pint-size jar, add:

    • 10g dehydrated starter (half the packet)

      • Each pouch of starter comes with 20 grams of starter. Some to use now, and some to save as back up if you ever need it!

    • 20g filtered or spring water (~80°F)

  • Let sit for 10 minutes

  • Add 20g flour (same type as your starter kit)

  • Stir well

  • Cover loosely (not airtight)

  • Use a rubber band to mark the starter's level

  • Let sit at room temp (70–75°F) for 24 hours

Day 2: First Feed

  • Look for bubbles — a good sign, but no stress if not yet!

  • Add:

    • 50g flour

    • 50g water (~80°F)

  • Stir well

  • Cover loosely and let rest at room temp for another 24 hours

Right after feeding

Looking for thick pancake consistency when feeding.

5 hours after feeding

  • Some volume increase as you can see based the rubber band marker.

  • Some signs of bubbles at the surface.

Day 3: Keep it going

  • Discard about half the starter (around 75g, doesn’t have to be exact)

  • Add:

    • 75g flour

    • 75g water (~80°F)

  • Stir until the flour, water, and starter is completely combined. Remember to scrape off the edges as best you can so you can see where the starter volume is at. This will help you be able to track it’s growth progress.

  • Cover

  • Let sit 24 hours again!

Day 4 and beyond: Watch it grow

  • Repeat Day 3’s steps every 24 hours

  • Continue until your starter is:

    • Bubbly

    • Has a slightly tangy smell

    • Doubles in size in 6–8 hours

  • Once it reaches this point, your starter is active and ready to bake!

Close-up of soap bubbles forming a foam with beige and white colors.
Close-up of soap bubbles with many small and large bubbles forming a pattern.

Ongoing Maintainance

  • Maintain 25g starter by feeding:

    • 50g flour

    • 50g water

  • This keeps a neat 1:2:2 ratio and gives you 100g of starter—just right for most recipes, with no waste!

A glass container filled with a frothy, creamy beige beverage, placed on a wooden cutting board on a kitchen window sill.

I want to note that in these photos and videos, I’m rehydrating an organic bread flour sourdough starter. Other starters/flours will look and act slightly different, but the same method applies to all.

Heads up! A few links are affiliate links, which means I earn a tiny commission if you shop through them.
No extra cost to you, just a way to keep the lights on and my sourdough happy.

Rehydrating
Starter
FAQs

  • A mixture of flour and water that captures wild yeast and bacteria from the environment to naturally leaven bread.

  • Make sure it matches the type of starter you received:

  • That's the great part about dehydrated starter vs. starting one from scratch– dehydrated, once already established starter gives you a big jump start in your timeline. Although everyone's experience is different and there are many different factors in play, getting a fully bubbly, active starter that's ready to use for a loaf should take you about 4-8 days.

  • Only if it’s free from chlorine or chloramine. Filtered or spring water is best.

  • It could be too cold, underfed, or using bleached flour or chlorinated water.

  • Tangy, yeasty, slightly fruity or vinegary—but never rotten, moldy, or foul.

  • It should double in size within 6-8 hours of feeding, smell pleasantly sour, and pass the “float test” (a small spoonful floats in water).

  • Well, you 100% WILL. Hopefully, I can pass along more or my experience and tips with you through my website, Instagram, Facebook, and instruction sheets I sell. I’ve started a Facebook community for people to ask and answer questions, as well as share their journey and experiences baking sourdough! Join HERE