DRY STARTER REHYDRATION INSTRUCTIONS

Omaha Sourdough Starter Instructions

Thank you for your order and welcome to Omaha Sourdough!

Included in your package is a packet of our dehydrated, mature, active sourdough starter, along with these instructions to help you bring your starter back to life.

Before you begin, please read the instructions completely and make sure your schedule allows you to follow the recommended feeding times. Staying reasonably consistent with the feeding schedule will help your starter reactivate successfully.

Soon, you’ll have a bubbly, active sourdough starter that you can continue feeding, baking with, and enjoying for years to come.

What You'll Need

  • A clean glass jar or container
  • Bottled spring water or filtered water free from chlorine and fluoride
  • You can use any flour you desire. (All-purpose flour, Whole wheat, Rye…)
  • A spoon or spatula for mixing
  • A loose-fitting lid or breathable jar cover
  • A little patience & love

Activating Your Omaha Sourdough Starter

Your dehydrated sourdough starter is currently hibernating. By adding flour and water, you'll wake up the natural yeast and beneficial bacteria and bring your starter back to life.

Your starter is fully active when it becomes bubbly and reliably rises—ideally doubling in volume—after feeding.

Step 1 — Wake It Up

In a clean glass jar or bowl, combine:

  • 1 packet Omaha Sourdough dehydrated starter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or other type
  • 3 tablespoons room-temperature water

Mix thoroughly.

If necessary, add a small amount of additional water to incorporate all of the flour.

Cover the container with a breathable cloth cover or place a lid loosely on top. Do not seal the container tightly.

Keep your starter in a warm location, ideally around 70–75°F (21–24°C).

Consistency Matters

Your starter should have approximately the consistency of thick pancake batter.

When feeding your starter, add the flour first and gradually mix in the water. Only add enough water to completely hydrate the flour while maintaining a thick consistency.

Depending on your flour and local conditions, you may not need all of the water listed in each step.

Step 2 — After 12 Hours

Add:

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • Up to 1/4 cup room-temperature water

Mix thoroughly until you have a thick pancake-batter consistency.

Cover loosely and return the starter to a warm location.

Step 3 — After Another 12 Hours

Add:

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • Up to 1/2 cup room-temperature water

Mix thoroughly and cover loosely.

Step 4 — After 24 Hours

Discard approximately half of the starter, leaving about 1/2 cup remaining.

Feed the remaining starter with:

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • Up to 1/2 cup room-temperature water

Mix thoroughly until you achieve a thick pancake-batter consistency.

Cover loosely and return the starter to a warm location.

Step 5 — Continue Feeding

Repeat Step 4 approximately every 24 hours for 3–7 days, or until your starter is consistently:

  • Producing bubbles
  • Expanding after feeding
  • Developing a pleasant fermented aroma
  • Rising to approximately double its starting volume

Once your starter reliably rises after feeding, congratulations!

Your Omaha Sourdough starter is active and ready to bake with.

Get baking!

Helpful Starter Tips

Don't worry if your starter doesn't immediately spring to life. Every kitchen environment is slightly different.

  • It may take 2–3 days before you begin noticing significant bubbles or activity.
  • It is completely normal for your starter to rise after feeding and then gradually settle back down.
  • Temperature can significantly affect fermentation. A warmer environment generally speeds activity, while a cooler environment slows it down.
  • After each feeding, wipe down the inside walls of your jar to keep them clean and reduce the possibility of mold growth.
  • Your starter's aroma will change as it becomes active. Mildly sour, yeasty, fruity, or fermented aromas are normal.

Maintaining Your Omaha Sourdough Starter

Once your starter is fully active, you can maintain it indefinitely with regular feeding.

If You Bake Frequently

Keep your starter at room temperature and discard and feed approximately every 24 hours.

If You Bake Occasionally

Store your starter in the refrigerator.

Feed it before baking and maintain it with a fresh feeding approximately once per week when it isn't being used regularly.

How Much Starter Should I Keep?

The amount of starter you maintain depends on how frequently you bake and how much starter your favorite recipes require.

As a general starting point, we recommend maintaining approximately 1/2 cup (about 50 grams) of starter.

Before baking, feed your starter so you'll have enough for your recipe while still leaving some starter behind to continue your culture.

Whenever possible, keep approximately 1/2 cup (50 grams) remaining after baking.

With proper care, your Omaha Sourdough starter can be continually fed and reused for years.

How to Discard, Feed & Maintain Your Starter

A common maintenance approach is approximately a 1:1:1 ratio of starter, flour, and water by weight.

For this example, we'll assume you're maintaining approximately 50 grams of starter.

1. Discard

Remove excess starter until approximately 50 grams remain in your jar.

2. Feed

Add approximately:

  • 50 grams all-purpose flour
  • Up to 50 grams water

Gradually add the water while mixing until your starter reaches a thick pancake-batter consistency.

3. Let It Rise

Cover loosely and place your starter in a warm location.

Allow it to ferment until it becomes bubbly and rises.

4. Bake Near Peak Activity

When your starter is bubbly, active, and near its peak rise, it's ready to be incorporated into your dough according to your recipe.

5. Save Some for Next Time

After removing the starter needed for your recipe, make sure you still have enough remaining to continue feeding your culture.

Feed it again, and your Omaha Sourdough starter will be ready for your next bake.

Omaha Sourdough Customer Satisfaction Guarantee

We want you to have a successful sourdough experience.

Sourdough starters are living cultures and can respond differently depending on local environmental conditions, including temperature, water quality, flour, humidity, and feeding schedules.

Occasionally, a starter may take longer than expected to reactivate or may behave differently from the timeline described above.

If you're having trouble with your starter, please contact Omaha Sourdough. OmahaSourdoughCompany@ gmail.com. We're happy to help troubleshoot the reactivation process and get you baking.

Welcome to the Omaha Sourdough family.

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