Tear open the starter culture packet and empty the contents into a jar or a glass.
Add two and a half tablespoons of plain flour to the jar.
Add approximately two tablespoons of room temperature water to the dry ingredients.
Gently stir until all ingredients are combined and there are no lumps.
The mixture should be of a consistency that 'hangs' off your spoon, so add a little more water or flour if it is too thick or too runny.
For a sourdough starter to activate, it needs to be comfortably warm - ideally 22-28° C - to keep the yeast active and facilitate the fermentation process.
If the ambient temperature is too cold, the sourdough yeast may go into hibernation and become inactive. Too warm and there is a risk of your starter becoming overly acidic or developing off flavours, or even killing the yeast.
Included in your pack is a temperature card that will help you determine if your room temperature is right to activate your starter.
Depending on the temperature of your room, this could take between 10 minutes and 1 hour.
The warmer your room is, the faster your starter will activate.
Once your see bubbles on the surface and sides of the jar, your starter is active!
Go you👏
Leave your starter somewhere warm for a couple of hours, in which time it should rise to approx double it's original size.
If you're ready to start baking right away, click the button below and choose a recipe that tickles your fancy.
Otherwise, cover your starter with the cloth cover from your pack (this protects it from other bacteria) and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to bake!
