How to Activate Your Sourdough Starter

Activating your own sourdough starter is not terribly difficult. It is actually quite simple. You only need sourdough starter, flour, and water. After you mix these together, four or more hours later your starter will be fully activated. You can then make yourself a beautiful loaf of bread or any delicious creation.

What is sourdough discard?

Sourdough Discard is starter that is left over from whatever you were previously making, fresh starter off the counter. Another form of discard is leftover sourdough starter that was placed in the fridge (old sourdough starter).

Can I activate my starter in a plastic bowl?

Yes, you can activate your starter in a plastic bowl, but I don’t recommend it. I am against having and using plastic in your kitchen when you are cooking due to the chemicals coming out of the plastic when it is heated. Sourdough starter is commonly made in a glass jar or bowl, because when you activate your starter you want it to get warm fast so it activates and ferments.

I personally keep my starter in the fridge in a metal bowl, not plastic or glass. I do this because if I keep my starter on the counter, I would have to activate it everyday to keep it from dying. If you keep your starter in the fridge you don’t have to activate the starter everyday, you only have to activate it once a week. I use a metal bowl also because I keep the starter in the fridge and I have had my glass bowl fall out of the fridge and shatter on the floor causing me to loose all my starter.

It is a good idea to have a sourdough community or buddy, so that if you do accidentally loose or kill your starter, they can share some starter with you.

How to activate your starter:

If your starter is in the fridge, place it on the counter and let it warm up for an hour or two.

Then, place 3/4 cup of sourdough starter in a bowl with 3/4 cup of water. Mix vigorously until the starter and water are well incorporated. Next, add 1 1/4 cups of flour and mix vigorously to incorporate air bubbles. Cover with a light towel or cling wrap. Place in a warm location (like on the stove top, but not on a burner). Let it ferment for 4 to 6 hours. If your house is warm it should take at least 4 hours and if your house is colder it should take about 6 hours or more.