As one buyer put it, it's history in your fridge! This is shelf-stable for at least a month or two (some say longer, but I'm going on the safe side!) if you are looking for a gift for a baker in your life (or yourself and don't have time just yet to get it going).

Product:

Dried 0.5 oz (14g) of recently dried starter flakes for easier and cheaper transport. (With a QR code link to the instructions and a business card included).

All of the instructions, tips, and troubleshooting are located on SarverFarms.com/blog, but that doesn't mean I know of every issue someone can have!


Options:

*0.5 oz (14g) All-Purpose Flour-Fed Sourdough Starter Dried Flakes
-Ingredients: Unbleached all-purpose flour, natural yeast from the historic sourdough starter culture, water (evaporated).

*1.0 oz (28g) All-Purpose Flour-Fed Sourdough Starter Dried Flakes
-Ingredients: Unbleached all-purpose flour, natural yeast from the historic sourdough starter culture, water (evaporated). THIS IS 2 PACKETS OF 1/2oz, we just offer a discount on 2 for anyone who wants a back up or one for a friend!

Background:

This is a sourdough starter culture originating from a bakery in France that has been operating on the outskirts of Paris since the late 1700s or early 1800s. I have had it for years and have kept it up with continual feedings at least once or twice a week. It has been gifted through two people and I don't know the bakery name, but I do believe that it is genuinely this old! It can achieve nearly a three times rise in 4-6 hours when I feed it twice daily and leave it on the kitchen counter (room temperature around 72-73 degrees F).

It has amazing virility and light flavor. I've tried a few different sourdoughs, but this one can convert even the most staunch sourdough hater (me prior to trying this one because I do not enjoy the super sour sourdough bread). Of course, you can make it sourer if you'd like by not discarding half when you feed. Usually, I can get it to pass the float test for baking after one feed, maximum 2. I really love sourdough bread and I figured I would share so others can find joy and peace in a nice hobby. Plus, I've read that if you make a starter from scratch it can take years to get established.

FAQ:

Can I feed with any flour? - Yes! Any flour with gluten should be fine, you might even get away with some without gluten but I have not tried that so I can’t recommend anything other than saving some of the original regular flour-fed starter kept separately in case the gluten free one fails.

If I’m getting this as a gift for someone do I have to do anything to the starter or is it shelf stable in the package? - It should be shelf stable for a few months at least in the packaging, but I recommend taking the starter out and storing it in a brown paper bag or something breathable if you are storing it dried long term just in case of any humidity issues, or slipping a silica gel packet into the plastic bag.

Other commonly asked questions and answers might be found at SarverFarms.com/blog where a few posts can be found on various topics related to the starter and sourdough bread baking!