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.

If you'd like to make your starter gluten-free, use a GF flour such as buckwheat or rice flour.

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.

Give your starter a name!



Bakers name their starters to tell different ones apart, but also as an acknowledgment that they are living things that need caring for.

Need some inspo? Find some here and here (trigger warning for anyone allergic to puns...)

It's now time to bring
your starter to life!


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.

Use the temperature card in your pack to gauge your ambient room temp. If it sits below the 'just right' zone on your temperature card then we recommend using the Launchpad to help activate your starter.

You can also use Launchpad if you room is warm enough, but you just want to speed things up a bit. Our tests show that using the launchpad will activate your starter up to five times faster, even in already warm environments 🚀

Tear open the packet above the zip lock and take out the two pads.

Give them a few good shakes, then use your fingers to break up any clumps that you can feel inside the bags.

Flatten out the pads, then sit your jar of sourdough starter on top. Ensure a stable base by moving them further apart or closer together, depending on the width of your jar.

After a few minutes, Launchpad will warm up. Keep your starter on top until you see bubbles appear on the surface, at which point it is active and ready to bake with.

You can then put the pads back in the black bag, re-sealing the zip lock.