Whether you’re saving a backup starter, traveling, or sharing sourdough with friends, dehydrating your starter is one of the easiest ways to preserve it. When stored properly, dehydrated sourdough starter can last for months—or even years—and can easily be brought back to life.
What You’ll Need
- Active sourdough starter
- Offset spatula or spoon
- Silicone dehydrator tray or parchment paper
- Food dehydrator (or oven)
- Blender or food processor
- Airtight glass jar or vacuum-sealed bag for storage
Step 1: Feed Your Starter
Feed your sourdough starter and allow it to become fully active. It should be bubbly, doubled in size, and at its peak before dehydrating. Starting with a healthy, active starter gives you the best chance of successfully reviving it later.
Step 2: Spread It Thin
Using an offset spatula or spoon, spread your active starter into a very thin, even layer on a silicone dehydrator tray or a sheet of parchment paper.
The thinner the layer, the faster and more evenly it will dry.
Step 3: Dehydrate
I dehydrate my sourdough starter at 95-100°F for approximately 12 hours, or until it is completely dry and brittle.
You can also dehydrate your starter by:
- Using your oven on its lowest temperature setting (leave the door cracked slightly if needed).
- Drying it naturally in the sun if you live in a warm, dry climate.
Your starter is finished when it snaps easily and has no soft or flexible spots remaining.
Step 4: When ready to revive, blend Into a Powder
Break the dried starter into smaller pieces and blend it into a fine powder using a blender or food processor.
How to Revive Dehydrated Sourdough Starter
Day 1
In a clean jar, combine:
- 20g dehydrated sourdough starter powder
- 40g warm water
Allow the mixture to sit for several hours so the dried starter fully rehydrates.
Then add:
- 40g unbleached bread flour
Mix well and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
Days 2–5
Each day:
- Discard approximately half of the starter.
- Feed with equal parts flour and water (for example, 50g flour + 50g water).
Within 3–5 days, your starter should begin producing bubbles and rising consistently.
Once it reliably doubles after feedings, it’s ready to bake with again.
Here is my beginner friendly sourdough recipe
Storage Tips
- Store in an airtight container or glass jar.
- Keep away from heat and moisture.
- Label the date you dehydrated it.
- Vacuum sealing extends the shelf life even longer.
- Perfect for mailing, gifting, workshops, and long-term backup storage.
Why I Love Dehydrating My Starter
I recently dehydrated my sourdough starter for one of my sourdough workshops so each guest could take home their own starter in an easy, travel-friendly way. It’s one of my favorite methods for preserving sourdough because it’s simple, reliable, and makes sharing the joy of baking with others so much easier.
