INGREDIENTS & TOOLS

• A large, wide mouth glass jar with lid or paper towel and elastic
• Wooden spoon or small spatula for stirring 
• Kitchen scale
• Unbleached all-purpose flour
• Water (preferably filtered)

NOTE 1: There is 10g of starter in your packet, however the steps below only require 5g. This is in case you have a difficult time rehydrating your starter the first time and need to give it another shot. So, there is enough starter in your packet to try twice!

NOTE 2: Starter grows best and quickest in a warm environment (ideally 24°C/76°F). If your kitchen is naturally colder then let it sit in a warm spot such as in your oven with the oven light on. This is also why it’s best to use warm (NOT hot!) water in the steps below.

INSTRUCTIONS

REHYDRATE

Place 5 grams of sourdough chips into your jar. Feel free to crush them even smaller which will help to rehydrate quicker. Add 30 grams of warm water to the dry mixture and stir until the starter is completely submerged in the water. Cover loosely and let sit at room temperature for two hours, stirring occasionally during that time.

FEED

After a couple of hours the starter is dissolved and stirring will allow the mixture to become fairly smooth. Add 20 grams of unbleached all-purpose flour and stir until thoroughly combined. Starter should now be the consistency of thick pancake batter (a thinner, more hydrated starter is what allows for increased activity for yeast and bacteria). Cover loosely and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

AFTER 24 HOURS

Your mixture will look smooth but not lively Little to no bubbles will be present. But don’t be discouraged! It will still take a few more feedings to bring it back to life (and remember that kitchen temperature effects how quickly this can happen). You will now mix together 10 grams of your starter mixture (discard the rest), 25 grams water, and 25 grams flour in the glass jar. Mix thoroughly, cover loosely, and let sit at room temp for another 24 hours.

CONTINUE FEEDINGS

You will continue to feed your starter every 24 hours as it sits at room temperature. Keep using the same ratio: 10 grams starter (discard the rest), 25 grams water, and 25 grams flour.

Remember to always aim for the consistency of thick pancake batter, so if you need to add a little bit more water that’s ok. Keep an eye on your starter throughout the process, usually around day 3 or 4 you will begin to notice many small bubbles on the surface and sides which means it’s slowly It will soon reach a point where it nearly doubles in size and contains lots of small and big bubbles, and that’s when you know it’s reached peak activity!

To test your starter at this point you can drop a small dollop of it into a glass of water. If it floats then it’s ready to be used for your first recipe!

NEXT STEPS

After your starter has doubled in size you have the option to either: (a) use it in a recipe, (b) store it on your counter and repeat steps every 24 hours to discard and feed it, or (c) store it tightly sealed in your fridge and remove it once a week for feedings.

If you store it in your fridge: Make sure you take it out once a week, let it reach room temperature, then feed it as you have been in the steps above. Then wait for it to rise and either use in a recipe or place it back in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it or feed it again!

Having a hard time reactivating your starter or have general questions about SourJo?

Find our FAQs here. For more sourdough tips and tricks, recipes, and more be sure to follow me on Instagram at @jotiwall. Email hello@jotiwall.com with any questions. And please be sure to tag me in all your posts because I’d love to see them!