Last Updated on September 29, 2025

Welcome to your step-by-step guide on how to reactivate a dry sourdough starter. The process takes just under a week but is very easy to do! By the end, a small bit of dry sourdough starter will transform into a voluminous, bubbly, active starter – ready to bake with for many years to come!

If you obtained your dehydrated organic sourdough starter from us here at Homestead and Chill, thank you for your support! If not, no worries! This tutorial will work to rehydrate any dry sourdough starter (perhaps with some minor tweaks, see the “texture” tips below).

A printable summary and video are provided at the end of this article. I’ve also included some troubleshooting tips, though I don’t think you’ll have any issues. Once your starter is reactivated, head over to guide on how to feed sourdough starter for ongoing maintenance and storage tips. Don’t worry, it’s easier than you think!

An overhead view of a flip-top glass jar overflowing with bubbly active sourdough starter

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What is a dry sourdough starter?

Dry sourdough starter is made by dehydrating a portion of an active, healthy sourdough starter. We dry our organic starter using a low heat “living foods” setting in a food dehydrator. This preserves the beneficial lactic acid bacteria and wild yeasts that are responsible for making a sourdough starter bubble, and sourdough bread rise.

A dry starter is alive but is in a dormant state, and needs to be reactivated (rehydrated) over the course of a few days to slowly wake it back up. To do so, we’ll gradually add increasing amounts of flour and water each day – so you’ll have several cups of active starter by day 5.

Using a dry sourdough starter is a great way to kick-start your sourdough baking journey. It’s basically fool-proof! Rather than making sourdough starter from scratch (which is possible but can be tricky) you’re working with a strong, established culture from the start.

A small glass jar is full of dry flakes of sourdough starter, like small thin white chips, with several small brown packets or envelopes of dried sourdough starter sitting around it — Homestead and Chill organic dry sourdough starter. One little package holds the power to become over a liter of bubbling sourdough starter in just 5 days!

Supplies Needed

1 package of dry sourdough starter powder or flakes (or approximately 1 heaping half-tablespoon of ground powder)
A pint size mason jar (or similar). Given the small volume, it’s best to start rehydrating the dry sourdough starter in an average jar, glass, or other similar size container.
A larger glass storage container (e.g. quart, liter, or larger). On day five, we’ll transfer the active sourdough starter into a larger container – its forever home! We use a flip-top 1-liter glass container like this one. See the discussion about using bigger containers to maintain a larger volume of starter in the “Day 5” section below.
All purpose flour or bread flour. We have experimented with reactivating a dry sourdough starter with both types of flours, and it works perfectly with both. Note that we use certified organic flour, which the microbes generally prefer but isn’t absolutely necessary. If you’d like to transition your starter to whole wheat or rye in the future, you absolutely can! However, I suggest using simple white flour when first reactivating the dry sourdough starter.
Filtered water or spring water. Ideally, the water used to activate and maintain a sourdough starter is free of chlorine.

Key Tips Before Reactivating

TIME: You will slowly reactivate your dry sourdough starter over 5 days, but each step only takes a few minutes per day. It’s best to do the feedings about 24 hours apart, though it doesn’t need to be exact. So, choose a time of day to start that you’re usually available, such as first thing in the morning, around dinner time, or before bed. Set an alarm if you’re forgetful!
TEMPERATURE: Your sourdough starter will be most happy, active and balanced in a temperature range of about 70 to 75°F. Cooler conditions will lead to slower activation and a generally less vigorous starter. (Though we activated the dry sourdough starter shown in this tutorial when the house was 63-70°F without issue!) Hot temperatures may make the process go faster.
TEXTURE: The ideal consistency for your sourdough starter is thick and gooey, kind of like marshmallow fluff. It should settle smoothly into the bottom of the container (not clump together like cookie dough) but also shouldn’t be too runny or pourable like pancake batter or it won’t rise well. So if at any time your starter seems too thick or too thin (especially a dry starter purchased elsewhere), feel free to add a sprinkle more flour or splash of water until the desired consistency is reached. Do so in small quantities, such as a teaspoon at a time (especially in the first few days).

A picture shows a jar of sourdough starter on the left and a loaf of bread that has been cut in half on the right. It depicts bacteria, yeast, and flour and what those items together provide for a baked loaf of bread which is acid, carbon dioxide and aromas. — Image courtesy of studentsdiscover.org

Instructions

Day 1

In a clean pint-size mason jar or similar, combine one full H&C package of dry sourdough starter (approximately 1 heaping half-tablespoon) with 1.5 tablespoons of filtered lukewarm water. Avoid using cold water throughout this process, as it will slow down the activity of the starter. Allow the dry sourdough starter and water to sit for several minutes to soften and combine. Use a fork or spoon to stir it on occasion.
Then, mix in 1 tablespoon of flour. Mix thoroughly. Try to avoid making a huge mess of the sides of your jar. Use the edge of your fork or a small spatula to clean up any major smears.
Cover the jar with a lid. It doesn’t necessarily need to be air-tight; the purpose is to prevent it from drying out or allowing mold spores in. I only lightly screw on these BPA-free plastic jar lids. If you’re using a drinking glass or other container that doesn’t have a lid, simply set a plate on top, add plastic wrap, or a reusable beeswax wrap on top.
Finally, set the container in a moderately warm location. Come back in about 24 hours.

A four way image collage, the first birds eye image shows a small amount of an off white powder in the bottom of a pint mason jar. The second image shows the bottom of the jar after water has been added to create a runny liquid. A gold fork is resting in the jar. The third image shows a half tablespoon measurement of flour being held over the mason jar, there is a ramekin of flour sitting next to the jar and a gold fork is sitting on the opposite side of the jar as the ramekin. The fourth image shows a close up image of the bottom of the jar after the flour has been added and stirred in. The gold fork is partially covered in the sourdough mixture as it was used to stir the mixture. — Day one: combine dry starter with water, allow to soak for a few minutes, add flour, stir. Easy!

A side view of the mason jar is shown with a white plastic lid on top. The initial sourdough mixture is only a half inch tall or so in the bottom of the jar. — Day 1 after mixing. Cover and set aside for 24 hours.

Day 2

Into the same jar as yesterday, add 1 tablespoon of flour and 2 teaspoons of water to the starter. Mix well. Cover the jar or container again, and allow it to sit for another 24 hours.

Have you thought about a name for your sourdough starter yet? There is a tradition in the sourdough baking world to name your sourdough starter. In fact, it is considered bad luck if you don’t! Today sounds like a good day to pick a name. If you need any ideas, check out our list of the top 60 Punny Sourdough Starter Names.

Day 3

By day three, you may start to see fermentation bubbles in the starter! Repeat the same process as yesterday, adding 1 tablespoon of flour and 2 teaspoons of water. Mix, cover, and set aside.

During the next 24 hours, your starter may start to rise. Just for fun, mark the level of the starter on the side of the container after mixing (either with a washable glass marker or with a rubber band around the jar) and watch how much it rises.

Day 4

Today, we are going to increase the volume more than before. The growing sourdough starter should smell really nice by now, like sourdough and yeast – reminiscent of a brewery or bakery! That is an excellent sign she is getting stronger and can handle more food.

This time, add 1/3 cup flour and 1/4 cup water.
Mix well, until it looks like most of the flour clumps are broken up and the starter is fairly smooth.
Cover the container, note the level of the starter on the side of the container, and set it aside again. If you’re using a pint jar, it should be about ⅓ full now.

A birds eye view four way image collage is shown. The first image shows the bottom of the jar and an active bubbly sourdough starter in the bottom. The second image shows a 1/3 cup measurement of flour being held over the jar. The third image shows a 1/4 cup measurement of water being held over the jar that now contains the fluffy flour seen below. The fourth image shows the jar after the water has been added, it is being stirred with a golden fork and the mixture resembles a slightly wet dough. — Day 4: After a few smaller feedings, the starter has began to bubble and grow slightly. Today, we add more flour and water than before.

Day 4 continued…

Within 12 to 24 hours, your starter should bubble, rise, and nearly double in size! If it doesn’t appear to rise at this stage, see the troubleshooting notes at the bottom of this article. You may need to adjust your consistency (e.g. make it slightly thicker), but it doesn’t mean the starter isn’t alive!

On the other hand, if your starter doubles in size and then quickly falls back down to the original starting point (a sign that it’s hungry) then you can move on to the next step sooner if you wish, instead of waiting a full 24 hours. (Smears on the side of the container are a sign that it rose and fell.)

A three part image collage, the first image shows the pint mason jar with the sourdough starter mixture in the bottom after it has first been fed with a red line marking its height. There is a time superimposed on the image below the jar that reads "12 PM". The second image shows the jar after a few hours and it has more than doubled in height. The superimposed time stamp below the jar reads "3 PM". The third image shows the jar after the sourdough starter has fallen, though it is still a half inch above the red line where it had originally started. The superimposed time stamp below the jar reads "8 AM (next day)". — After feeding on Day 4, the starter more than doubled in size in just 3 hours. It started to fall back down over night (decrease in activity) as seen by the smears on the side of the jar. It was ready to be fed again the next morning.

Day 5

If your starter is now actively bubbling, rising and falling – congratulations! You have successfully reactivated the dry sourdough starter.

When a starter rises to double its size and then stays elevated, that is considered “peak activity”. Technically, it is ready to bake with at that point! However, at this stage in our reactivation journey, we don’t have quite enough volume for ongoing baking and maintenance. Every time you bake sourdough you must leave behind at least a half a cup of starter to feed and continue on. Therefore, we need to add more bulk to the starter, and also move it into a larger container – her forever home.

Transfer your starter from the mason jar into a clean mixing bowl.
Now, add 1 scant cup of fresh flour (just a hair shy of a cup!) and 1/2 cup of filtered lukewarm water. These measurements are approximately equal weights of flour and water in grams, which is the recommended flour-to-water ratio for ongoing starter maintenance.
Mix well, and then transfer the starter into a new larger container of choice. Set it aside at room temperature once again.

A white ceramic bowl is shown partially full of a sourdough starter mixture. A maroon silicon spatula is shown inserted into the mixture as it was used to combine the ingredients. — Day 5: Giving our girl more food than ever so she can grow big and strong!

A two part image collage, the first image shows a liter flip top jar with the active sourdough mixture in the bottom after it was fed. A red line was made on the jar to show where the mixture first started. There is a superimposed time stamp below the jar that reads "10:30 AM". The second image shows the jar after a few hours and the active sourdough starter has risen to almost the top of the jar, it has more than doubled in size from its original height. The superimposed time stamp below the jar reads "3 PM". — Day 5: after transferring the fed starter into a larger (1 liter or 34 ounce) container, it more than doubled in size once again. At this point, it is ready to bake with – or needs to be refrigerated and/or fed.

Choosing a final storage container

We like to store our sourdough starter in a glass flip-top container that is at least 1 liter/quart (the very minimum) up to a 1.5 liter container. We are currently using this 1-liter glass container (34 ounces). It provides sufficient space for the starter to be fed and double in size, and it fits well in our fridge. We only ever bake one sourdough loaf or recipe at a time, and most of our sourdough recipes call for about 1/2 to 1 cup of active starter on average, so we don’t need to maintain a huge amount of starter.

However, if you plan to make several loaves of bread or other sourdough goodies at once, you’ll want to use at least a 1.5 liter to even a 2 liter container and maintain a larger volume of starter than we do. To make a larger starter, simply feed it again without discarding any.

Two flip top jars are shown, the one on the left is a 2 liter size and the one on the right is a 1 liter size. They are both full to the top with bubbly active sourdough starter. — Options for ongoing storage, showing a 2-liter container on the left (ideal for regular/heavy bakers) or a 1-liter container on the right (what we maintain for baking one sourdough recipe every weekend or two).

My sourdough starter is active! Now what?

Please visit our guide on how to feed and maintain sourdough starter. There, I go over the various ways you can feed and store your starter. (“Feeding” is simply the act of adding more flour and water, and sometimes discarding a portion first.) For instance, some frequent bakers choose to leave their starter out at room temperature – but then it will need to be fed daily. Rather, most folks store their starter in the refrigerator, where it only needs to be fed once every week or two, or as little as once a month.

If you get to the final step and aren’t sure how to proceed, simply put the active starter in the refrigerator for now.

If you’re feeling ready to bake, pop over to our simple sourdough bread recipe – or give our easy sourdough focaccia recipe a try (which is even more beginner-friendly). Also feel free to browse this list of our favorite sourdough supplies including the cast iron combo cooker we bake bread in (it’s like an upside down Dutch oven).

A loaf of freshly baked sourdough bread is shown still in its cast iron baking pan. The bread is light brown to darker brown in the more crispy parts. The strands of gluten are visible on the crust of the bread.

Transitioning sourdough starter to a different kind of flour

If you want to feed your sourdough starter whole wheat, rye, or another type of flour, feel free to do so! In fact, many starters become even more vigorously active with wheat and rye flour. I suggest easing the starter into the change, by gradually adding the new flour type mixed with the original flour that it is accustomed to eating.

For example, if you’re currently feeding your starter all-purpose flour, try using 3/4 cup AP and 1/4 cup whole wheat for the first feeding, see how it responds, then increase to half and half, and so on with subsequent feedings. We often feed our personal starter half bread flour and either half whole wheat or half rye.

A birds eye view of the top of jar of active sourdough starter is shown. There is a blue silicon spatula inserted into the top to show the elasticity of the starter. It looks like marshmallow fluff, with the starter stretching and pulling from the sides to the spatula. — A fluffy, spongy, lacy sourdough starter at peak activity. Can you believe this started with a half a tablespoon of powder just 5 days ago?

Troubleshooting Tips

If your starter isn’t rising, consider the following factors that may be causing issues. Or, learn even more in this guide: 9 Ways to Make Sluggish Sourdough Starter More Active.

When a sourdough starter is too wet or runny, the fermentation bubbles will rise right through and out of the mixture, rather than being trapped inside and creating rise. So if your starter is easily pourable (like thin pancake batter), stir in more flour to stiffen it up. Add just a tablespoon or two at a time until it becomes more thick and gooey, but not a solid ball of dough.
Cold temperatures lead to decreased starter activity. If your house in on the cool side, try to find a warmer spot to store your starter such as near or on top of a warm appliance. You could also use a handy starter warming plate – made specifically for this task! Another trick is to place the starter inside the oven – with the oven OFF, but the oven light ON. (But use caution not to accidentally pre-heat and cook your starter!)
Your starter may simply be hungry. Once it rises and falls, it will not rise again until it’s fed more fresh flour and water. So, if it has been sitting out for a few days and it hasn’t risen yet, it won’t magically start doing so! Try discarding half of the contents in the container and then feeding it with a scant 1 cup of fresh flour plus 1/2 cup of lukewarm filtered water. It should perk back up!

What is that dark liquid on the top of my sourdough starter?

When a sourdough starter has run out of food, it produces a thin dark layer of alcohol-like liquid on top called “hooch” – a natural byproduct of yeast fermentation. Hooch is normal and harmless; it simply means your starter is hungry and needs more flour and water. You can either pour the hooch off the top, or mix it back in (which will make it more sour-tasting, some folks like that) and then discard and feed as usual.

RELATED: If you’re ever unsure about the looks of your starter, or, if you ever go many months without feeding your starter and it has a lot of hooch, please visit this guide: Is My Sourdough Starter Bad? How to Revive Old Inactive Starter.

The bottom of a jar is shown that contains a hungry sourdough starter. There is a clear liquid on top of the starter mixture. This starter needs to be fed to keep the sourdough starter active and alive. — A hungry sourdough starter with a layer of “hooch”.

And that is how you rehydrate a dry sourdough starter.

Please, do not be intimated by the process. It is incredibly easy! By starting with an established healthy colony of lactic acid bacteria and yeast, you’re already miles ahead of the game. You’ll be baking your first loaf of sourdough bread in no time.

Once your starter is active and ready, try some of our favorite sourdough recipes:

Simple No-Knead Sourdough Bread Recipe
Sourdough Discard Crackers Recipe
Simple Sourdough Focaccia Bread Recipe
Sourdough Granola Recipe (Discard or Active Starter) with Fermented Option
Healthy Sourdough Spiced Pumpkin Bread (or muffins)
Delicious Sourdough Zucchini Bread (or muffins) with optional nuts, seeds, chocolate or dried fruit
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies: Cinnamon Spiced & Salted
Sourdough Ginger Molasses Cookies (Soft and Chewy)

Please let me know if you have any questions. We’d also love to hear your success stories with a review or comment. Thanks for tuning in, and happy baking!

How to Reactivate a Dry (Dehydrated) Sourdough Starter

Here's an easy step-by-step guide on how to reactivate a dry sourdough starter. The easy process takes 5 days, but only a few minutes per day! By the end, a small amount of dry sourdough will transform into a voluminous, bubbly, active sourdough starter – ready for a lifetime of baking.

4.89 from 53 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Activation Time 5

Equipment

Pint-size glass mason jar and lid or similar (for initial activation)
Larger glass container, such as a 1 to 2 liter glass flip-top container (for ongoing starter storage)

Ingredients

1/2 Tbsp dried sourdough starter culture
white bread flour or all-purpose flour (amount varies with each step)
filtered lukewarm water (non-chlorinated, avoid using cold water)

Instructions

Day 1

In a clean pint-size mason jar (or similar) combine 1/2 Tbsp of dried sourdough starter powder or flakes (one H&C package) with 1.5 Tbsp of filtered lukewarm water. Allow the dry sourdough starter and water to sit for several minutes to soften and combine. Use a fork or spoon to stir it on occasion.
Add 1 Tbsp of flour. Mix thoroughly. (See consistency notes below)
Cover the jar with a lid, beeswax wrap, plate, or other cover to prevent it from drying out. Set the container in a moderately warm location (70 to 75F is ideal). Come back in about 24 hours.

Day 2

Into the same jar as yesterday, add 1 Tbsp of flour and 2 teaspoons of water to the starter. Mix well.
Cover the jar or container again, and allow it to sit for another 24 hours.

Day 3

Repeat the same feeding process as Day 2 (1 Tbsp flour and 2 teaspoons water).

Day 4

This time, add 1/3 cup flour and 1/4 cup water to the starter. Mix well.
Cover the container and set aside once again. Consider marking the level of the starter after feeding. It should rise quite a bit by this time!

Day 5

Transfer your starter from the mason jar into a clean mixing bowl.
Add 1 scant cup of fresh flour (just a hair shy of a cup!) and 1/2 cup of water. Mix thoroughly.
Transfer the starter into a new larger container of choice (such as a 1 to 2 liter glass flip-top jar). This will be the starters "forever home". Set it aside at room temperature once again.
If your starter is now actively bubbling, rising and falling – congratulations! You have successfully reactivated the dry sourdough starter. When a starter rises to double its size and then stays elevated, that is considered “peak activity” and is ready to bake with. It will deflate after a few hours and need to be fed or refrigerated.

Ongoing Starter Maintenance

To learn how to feed and store you now-active sourdough starter, please refer to our sourdough starter maintenance article (linked in the notes below). If you aren't sure what to do next, put your active starter in the fridge while you do your homework!

Notes

Ongoing Sourdough Starter Care: For ongoing starter maintenance (feeding instructions and storage options), see this article.

Starter Texture: This recipe was developed using the Homestead and Chill dry sourdough starter culture. Using different brand starters may result in varying consistencies. Every individual home environment (e.g. different elevations and humidity) could also lead to some variations. The ideal consistency for your sourdough starter is thick and gooey, kind of like marshmallow fluff. It should settle smoothly into the bottom of the container (not clump together like cookie dough) but also shouldn’t be too runny or pourable like pancake batter or it won’t rise well. So if at any time your starter seems too thick or too thin, feel free to add a sprinkle more flour or splash of water until the desired consistency is reached. Do so in small quantities, such as a teaspoon at a time (especially in the first few days).

Troubleshooting: A couple of issues may cause a sourdough starter to not rise well. For one, it could be too cold in your home – though there should be at least some activity, even in the coolest conditions. Try moving your starter to a warmer location or using a starter warming plate. A more common issue is the starter consistency. When a starter is too wet or runny, the fermentation bubbles may rise right through and out of the mixture, rather than being trapped inside and causing the starter to grow and rise. If at any time your starter doesn’t rise and also seems easy to pour (like thin pancake batter), is it probably too wet. Stir in more flour to stiffen it up, adding just a tablespoons or two at a time until it becomes more thick and gooey.

Keyword Dehydrated sourdough starter, Dry sourdough starter, Gluten-free sourdough starter, organic sourdough starting, reactivating dry sourdough starter

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

125 Comments

Abbie

August 8, 2025 at 8:33 am Reply

Such a great, easy to follow recipe!! Thank You so much for all the time put into the steps, video and explanation… my starter worked perfectly 1st time!
- Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
  
  August 9, 2025 at 7:28 am Reply
  
  Amazing to hear Abbie, have fun baking!
Rebecca

July 1, 2025 at 8:37 pm Reply

Thank you for this detailed recipe and video! I am on day 4 and fed my sourdough 11 hours ago… There is a very small amount of rise (less than a 1/4 of an inch) and some bubbles but not too many yet. If the starter hasn’t doubled in size by the 24 hour mark, should I repeat step 4, or should I still move to to step 5? Thanks!
- Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
  
  July 2, 2025 at 7:11 am Reply
  
  Hi Rebecca, you can likely proceed onto day 5 after 24 hours, just be aware of the consistency of the starter, if it’s too thin (too much water), it won’t rise as readily. Either way, your starter is still growing beneficial bacteria and yeast so it should round into form shortly. Hope that helps and good luck!
Yaoska

March 29, 2025 at 4:22 am Reply

Hi
Last night was only day 2 and I messed up by adding 2 tablespoons of water instead of 2 teaspoons. I realized my mistake when I saw the texture and tried to fix it by adding another tablespoon of flour but I don’t know if this will kill it. I’m so sad, it was already bubbly and with the nice fermentation smell
- Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
  
  March 29, 2025 at 7:21 am Reply
  
  Hi Yaoska, that’s unfortunate but all is not lost. I would just proceed as we describe in the step by step tutorial and move on to day 3 after your larger feeding, it should still continue to ferment and build beneficial bacteria and yeast, even if you added more flour and water than we outlined in the guide. Good luck!
Jacqueline Baylis

March 15, 2025 at 9:07 am Reply

Hi, I followed your instructions and about rehydrating dry dehydrated sour dough and everything went as you described, I then transfered it to a bigger jar, I have looked at it today and it seems to have gone runny and brown on top, help what do I do know ? I put it in the fridge. I want to make my first loaf so what do I do now please.x
- Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
  
  March 15, 2025 at 9:40 am Reply
  
  Hi Jacqueline, so glad you were able to successfully rehydrate your dehydrated sourdough starter! It depends on how long you left your starter on the counter after you transferred it to a larger jar, it sounds like your starter is hungry and may have developed some “hooch” on top? We always keep our starter in the refrigerator when we are not using it, if you leave it on your counter, you must discard and feed it daily. Check out our article on how to feed your starter here, it also includes storage tips as well. Hope that helps and have fun baking!
  - Jacqueline Baylis
    
    March 17, 2025 at 3:49 am Reply
    
    Thank you for getting back to me, I will discard and feed it then put it in the fridge like you advised.Funnily enough I started another one with the dregs of the first and that is coming on fine as well.
    - Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
      
      March 17, 2025 at 7:28 am Reply
      
      That’s great to hear and good luck!
Alanna

February 28, 2025 at 3:43 am Reply

I am going on day 4, I marked the jar for day 3 and I don’t see any rise and minimal bubbles this morning. I am wondering if I need to move it somewhere warmer. In the meantime should I continue with day 4? Or should I repeat day 3?
- Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
  
  March 1, 2025 at 7:36 am Reply
  
  Hi Alanna, if you don’t think the area of your starter is warm enough, you should definitely make an effort to get it to a warmer location. Granted, even mid 60’s F should be good enough for your reactivation to become more active. It’s fairly forgiving at this stage but I would probably just repeat day 3 before moving forward, either way, you will likely see more activity as the starter continues to build its beneficial bacteria and yeast. Hope that helps and good luck!
Lex

January 24, 2025 at 8:09 pm Reply

This article is incredible. I’m new to sourdough and have found amazing success by referencing this info. Bready Mercury (my starter 😏) has absolutely thrived just by following these simple instructions. The love and care you put into these articles is so appreciated 🫶🏻 thank you so much!
- Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
  
  January 25, 2025 at 7:36 am Reply
  
  Great name for your sourdough starter and we are thrilled that you have had such success with your starter, have fun baking!