Dehydrated and Rehydrated Starter Flakes

Crumbling dried starter flakes into a jar

The best long term storage for your starter

Undoubtedly dehydrating a well fed starter is the simplest way to pause starter maintenance indefinitely. This is my method:

Process

Using a spatula spread a thin layer of mature starter on parchment paper and allow it to dry completely. Once fully dried (this is crucial) you can peal the starter from the parchment and break it up into small flakes.

Thin layer of starter spread on parchment paper

Dried starter flakes

When ready to rehydrate

1. Empty 10 grams of starter flakes into a clean jar.

2. Add 20 grams of lukewarm water and let sit until mostly dissolved (about 3 hours). Stir occaccionally.

3. Mix in 20 grams whole wheat flour until well combined.

4. Loosely cover the jar and let sit somewhere warm (between 75°F - 85°F ideally) for 24 hours.

5. Repeat feeding cycle but reduce to 12 hour intervals until sufficient bubbling occurs. Not sure how to know when your starter is ready? See this post.