When you’re something like us, you’ve nurtured your sourdough starter over the previous two years and eaten and gifted your weight in sourdough bread, sourdough discard cookies, and waffles. You could be uninterested in the fixed upkeep required to maintain the starter alive, or maybe you need a backup.
When you want a long-term storage answer to your starter that doesn’t require remembering to feed it at common intervals, do that straightforward technique for drying sourdough starter.
In a rush? Right here’s a quick-glance information:
Merely put, dry sourdough starter is a starter that’s slowly dehydrated in order that it loses all it’s moisture and might be damaged into items and saved.
Typically you need to take a break from baking with sourdough and drying it means that you can retailer it for a very long time. Or, maybe you need to give some to a buddy. Dry starter ships effectively within the mail.
You positive can. See under.
It may possibly final for years in a darkish dry place. Bear in mind, humidity is the enemy of a dehydrated starter.
Sure. As quickly as you take away the dry starter from the parchment, slip it right into a zip-top bag and freeze indefinitely.
1. Collect your tools
- Your starter
- Good-quality parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet
- A clear stainless-steel tablespoon
- A fine-mesh meals cowl
2. Prep your starter
Feed your starter, with flour and water as you usually would, and permit it to develop and reply.
I’d advocate feeding your starter two or 3 times your standard feeding quantity to provide a extra lively starter on this event and maximize this drying alternative.
3. Dehydrate your starter
As soon as the starter is lively, lay a big sheet of good-quality parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet on an space of your kitchen counter the place it could actually stay for two to three days.
☞ TIP: Don’t use waxed paper or a paper towel; the starter will stick and received’t come off as soon as dried.
Spoon some onto the parchment, leaving your customary base quantity of starter within the bowl or jar. Utilizing the again of the spoon, unfold the starter as thinly as doable on the paper. The thinner it’s, the quicker it’ll dehydrate. Strive as a lot as doable to keep away from creating thick spots; any globs will take a really very long time to dry utterly.
4. Cowl it up
Cowl the paper with the mesh meals cowl and go away for two to three days, or till utterly dry. I all the time air dry mine at room temperature; you probably have a dehydrator, you may make it go quicker.
5. Retailer your dried starter
As soon as dried, it is going to be a darker shade and can begin to raise off the sheet by itself. Fold the sheet to interrupt up the starter. (This manner, you don’t want to really deal with it.) Make sure that the starter is totally dried to stop it from creating any mildew in storage. If it bends in anywhere as a substitute of breaks, it must preserve drying—return the sheet to your counter to dehydrate till your starter is absolutely able to retailer. Tip the damaged bits right into a clear jar. You possibly can go away it in bigger items or break it down extra in a clear blender.
6. Revive your dried starter
Now, take a look at your starter to make sure that it’ll revive efficiently.
The way to revive dehydrated starter
In a bowl, combine 20 grams (1/8 cup) of the dried starter items with 80 grams (3/4 cup) of flour and 90 grams (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) of water. It is going to be a thick combination. The starter won’t dissolve; it is possible for you to to see it nonetheless within the combination.
Stir it effectively, firmly cowl the bowl and go away it for twenty-four to 36 hours to bubble up and absolutely come again to life, stirring a few instances throughout that point. As soon as it’s absolutely revived, use it for sourdough bread, English muffins, waffles, pizza crust, or any of your different favourite sourdough meals.
7. What can I do with dry sourdough starter?
Now you can reward and ship parts of the dehydrated starter to family and friends in order that they’ll share your sourdough pleasure, or you possibly can retailer it in an hermetic container in a cool, darkish place for a number of months and even years. I’ve efficiently revived dried starter after a number of years.
After you have a inventory of dehydrated starter, you might have some insurance coverage. In case your starter ever begins to behave in another way and turns into weak or inactive, add 15 grams (1 tablespoon) of your dried starter to your starter. Stir effectively, cowl, and go away it for twenty-four to 36 hours to reply. It can enhance your starter with its personal saved energy.
Initially printed Might 8, 2022
