How to Dehydrate Sourdough Starter (and Rehydrate It!)

Dehydrated sourdough starter is the best way to store starter so that you’ll always have a backup on hand, no matter what life throws your way. Drying out your sourdough starter is a simple and practical step for anyone who wants to pause baking for a bit or create a shelf-stable version to share or store long-term. This guide walks you through how to dry, store, and bring it back to life with confidence.

Dehydrated starter in a weck jar and a weck jar on a scale.

Instead of maintaining daily feedings, this dehydrated sourdough starter method lets you pause without losing your starter for good. It’s a great option for busy bakers, travelers, or anyone who wants to simplify sourdough care without having to start from scratch later. Once dried and stored, it is shelf-stable, and rehydrating it is a low-effort way to revive it when you’re ready to bake again.

Why We Love This Process…

It’s the ultimate backup plan.
Dehydrating your starter ensures you always have a backup tucked away, just in case your active starter gets neglected, contaminated, or lost. It brings peace of mind, especially during vacations or busy seasons when regular feedings might slip your mind.
Easy to share and store.
Once dried, it can be stored in a small jar or envelope, making it perfect for mailing to friends or gifting to fellow bakers. It’s lightweight, shelf-stable, and lasts for months, no refrigeration or daily feedings required.
Rehydrating is simple and reliable.
When you’re ready to get back to baking, it only takes a few basic ingredients and a bit of patience to rehydrate sourdough starter successfully. No drama, just a few days of feeding, and your culture is back in action, ready to bubble and rise.

If you don’t have an active starter, we have an easy guide on how to make sourdough starter, perfect for beginners!

Dried sourdough starter on a parchment paper.

How to Dehydrate Sourdough Starter

Dehydrating your sourdough starter is a simple, yet effective, way to preserve its health and strength for the long haul. This method allows you to store your culture safely for months, no feeding, no maintenance, and no refrigeration required.

Start with a fed, active starter. Choose a healthy starter that’s been recently fed and is showing signs of activity (bubbles, rise).

Sourdough starter spread on a parchment paper with a rubber scrapper.

Spread it thin. Use no more than ½ cup of sourdough starter. Spread it into a thin, even layer on either a dehydrator tray or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Thinner is better, it helps speed up the drying and makes crumbling it easier later.

Sourdough starter spread on a parchment paper.

🎯 TFN Pro Tip

Always measure before drying.
Weigh your active starter before spreading it out to dehydrate. This makes it easy to know exactly how much flour and water to add later when you rehydrate it. Precision now saves guesswork later!

Dry the starter.
- In a dehydrator: Set to 115°F and let it dry for 24 hours.
- In an oven (off): Place the tray inside with the light on and door closed for about 12–24 hours. The light adds just enough warmth to gently dry it without baking.

Break it up. Once it is fully dry and brittle, break it into small flakes or chunks.
Label and store. Weigh or measure the amount of starter before drying so you’ll know how much water and flour to add when rehydrating. Store the flakes in an airtight container—glass jars or plastic containers with tight lids work well. You can also include a note with the date and weight to make reactivating it later even easier.

🎯 TFN Pro Tip

Break flakes into small pieces.
After drying, crumble your starter into small flakes or even pulse briefly in a clean food processor. The smaller the flakes, the quicker and more evenly they’ll absorb water when you rehydrate.

A jar of flour, dehydrated starter, and water.

How to Rehydrate Sourdough Starter

Rehydrating is surprisingly easy, and it’s a wonderful feeling to watch your dormant culture come back to life. Here’s how to rehydrate sourdough starter step-by-step:

Measure the flakes. Add 20 grams of dried sourdough starter flakes to a clean glass jar.
Add warm water. Pour in ¼ cup (60 grams) of warm filtered water (around 75°F is ideal). Let it soak for about an hour to soften the flakes. You can gently stir with a spoon or spatula halfway through if you’d like.

Dehydrated starter in a weck jar over a scale.

Add flour. After soaking, stir in ½ cup (60 grams) of unbleached all-purpose flour. The mixture will be very thick, this is normal. Stir until no dry flour remains.

Rehydrating starter in a weck jar over a scale.

Let it rest. Cover loosely (a jar lid or plastic wrap is fine) and allow it to sit at room temperature for 12–24 hours. You may start to see some bubbling.
Continue feeding. Once you see bubbles or activity, begin regular feedings (discard and feed with equal parts water and flour by weight) until your starter is bubbly, doubling, and ready for baking again, this usually takes 3–5 days.

Once you’ve mastered how to dehydrate and rehydrate sourdough starter, consider preserving extra portions. Store a small jar in your pantry and another in the freezer, perfect for long trips, gifting, or safeguarding against any mishaps. If you love baking try sourdough grilled cheese sandwiches, discard focaccia, overnight bread, discard flatbread, or wheat bread. Having a dry starter on hand means you’re never more than a few days away from your next loaf.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to dehydrate sourdough starter?

For dehydrated sourdough starter, expect the process to take 12 to 24 hours depending on your method. In a dehydrator set to 115ºF, it typically takes a full day. If air-drying on parchment paper, placing it in an oven (turned off with the light on) overnight usually works well.

Can I dehydrate sourdough discard or does it have to be a fed starter?

For best results, use a recently fed, active starter. While you can dehydrate sourdough discard, the rehydration process may take longer and be less predictable. A bubbly, active culture ensures the best results when you later rehydrate it.

How do I know if my rehydrated starter is active again?

After 4–6 days of consistent feeding, your starter should double in size within 4–6 hours of a feeding. It should smell pleasantly tangy and show bubbles throughout. That means your rehydrate process was successful, and you’re ready to bake!

What flour should I use when rehydrating sourdough starter?

Use unbleached all-purpose flour when feeding it during the rehydrate process. It’s neutral, easy to work with, and supports strong yeast and bacteria development.

More Sourdough Tips To Try…

If you tried this process on how to dehydrate sourdough starter (and rehydrate it!) or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram for more. Thanks for visiting!