If you need to store your starter for an extended time, dehydrating it is a simple way to preserve the yeasts and bacteria while minimizing maintenance. Here’s the easiest way to dehydrate sourdough starter for long-term storage.
I love keeping some dehydrated sourdough starter in my pantry as sort of a safety net JUST IN CASE something were to happen to my active starter.
Or if, say, a houseguest wants to try sourdough baking but doesn't want the immediate pressure that comes with a non-dehydrated starter portion, I can send them with a piece of dried starter and they can reactivate it whenever they want. (This has happened surprisingly frequently!)
The most common method I've seen for drying out your starter for long-term storage is to spread it really thin on a piece of parchment paper and wait (and wait, and wait) for it to dry completely. This takes days and a lot of counter space and always has felt like a chore to me.
Here's a way that's way easier and not even an extra task. You can do it while proceeding with your regularly scheduled sourdough starter feedings!
The Easy Way To Dry Sourdough Starter
Admittedly this method came about in the midst of a kitchen renovation where I did dishes in our bathtub and the number one priority of my life was minimizing dirty dishes. So one day when I fed my sourdough starter I thought, "I don't need to wash this spatula, I'll just reuse it next time I feed it."
So I fed my starter, I stirred it vigorously with a rubber spatula, I scraped the spatula off on the side of the bowl, then I set it down and left it for the next time.
Then, something AMAZING happened.
When it was time for the next feeding, I had perfect pieces of dehydrated starter peeling off my spatula. I knocked them off, and put them in a plastic bag.
Voila! Dehydrated starter with no extra effort. Actually, you could probably say it was even less effort than usual because I didn't even have to do any dishes.
Why Keep Dehydrated Sourdough Starter
Dehydrated sourdough starter is a kind of failsafe if anything happens to your regular starter. Instead of having to start over from scratch, you can reactivate the dried starter and be back in business in no time!
Some situations where having dried starter is really great:
- Your starter got moldy
- You got busy/sick/went on vacation and didn't feed your starter and it died
- You need a break from sourdough, but want to come back to it later
- All your nightmares came true and there were bugs in your starter
- A friend wants to have some of your starter
- The jar your starter lived in broke and you're afraid of eating glass
How To Do It
When you feed your starter, stir it really well with a silicone spatula.
Then, scrape the excess starter off the spatula on the sides of the bowl. Even if you think you're taking too much off - you're probably not. It still will have the slightest coating of starter on it.
Now, place your starter-coated spatula somewhere in the open where it can dry out. I place mine right on the top of the lid of the container that holds my starter. Just be sure to put it somewhere no one will mistake it for a dirty dish. (NO ONE put it in the bathtub! ...I mean... the dishwasher.)
When you go to feed your starter again, your spatula will be coated in dried pieces of starter. Tada! Dehydrated starter with no extra effort.
How to Store Dried Sourdough Starter
Once the starter is completely dry, you can place it in a plastic bag or jar and seal tightly. Store it in a cool, dry, dark place. I keep mine in a cabinet.
Be sure to label your dried starter with the date so you can keep track of how old it is!
How Long Does Dried Starter Last?
In theory, dried starter should last indefinitely, but I like to change mine out every 6 or so months.
It's not that the starter will go bad so much as the yeasts will become less and less active.
I'd feel comfortable switching it out every 12 months, but prefer to do it more frequently than that if I remember!
Rehydrating Dehydrated Sourdough Starter
To reactivate dried starter, you just add some of the dried pieces to a regular feeding. It's that easy!
Be sure to stir really well to break up the pieces, and I wouldn't discard any of your starter for the first few feedings.
Feed your starter twice per day, and you should be back in business in a few days!
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