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loaf of unbaked dough on counter

Dry Sourdough Starter and Bread

Liz Quick
Using a dry sourdough starter requires much less attention and space. It is a great way to bake with sourdough. Below, you will find steps for how to make a dry starter, how to rehydrate it, and how to bake a loaf of crusty sourdough bread.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Resting Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 5 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 1 dry starter
Calories 100 kcal

Equipment

  • Digital Kitchen Scale
  • Dutch oven with lid

Ingredients
  

Dry Sourdough Starter

  • 20 grams wet sourdough starter
  • 50 grams warm water
  • 100 grams all-purpose flour

Reviving Dry Starter | LEVAIN

  • 30 grams dry sourdough starter
  • 130 grams warm water
  • 120 grams all-purpose flour

Crusty Sourdough Bread loaf

  • 1 serving Levain as shared above
  • 315 grams warm water
  • 600 grams all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Instructions
 

Dry Sourdough Starter

  • Place a small container on a digital kitchen scale. Tare the scale.
  • Add 20 grams sourdough starter to the bowl. Tare the scale.
  • Add 50 grams warm water to the bowl. Mix the starter and water together with a fork. Tare the scale.
  • Add 100 grams unbleached flour to the bowl. Mix well. Leave on the counter for 6-10 hours so it can activate. Afterwards, you can store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Levain | Rehydrating Dry Starter for use

  • 6-10 hours before you need it, place a medium bowl on a digital kitchen scale. Tare the scale.
  • Add 30 grams of dry sourdough starter to the bowl. Tare the scale.
  • Add 130 grams warm water to the starter. Mix well. Tare the scale.
  • Add 120 grams unbleached flour to the mixture and mix well.
  • Allow the levain to sit and activate for 6-10 hours.

Crusty Sourdough Bread Loaf

  • Make the Levain 6 hours before you want to bake bread. I do this the night before.
  • Place your levain on a digital kitchen scale and tare it.
  • Add 315 grams of warm water and mix well. Tare the scale.
  • To that, add 600 grams of all-purpose flour. Mix well.
  • Mix in 2 teaspoons salt.
  • Cover the dough for 15 minutes.
  • Dump the dough on a floured surface.
    Fold the dough on each side. You will take the top edge and fold it to the middle. Take the left side and fold it to the middle. Fold the bottom to the middle. Fold the right side to the middle.
  • Cover with the bowl and let it rest for 15 minutes.
  • After 15 minutes, repeat the folding process one more time.
  • Cover with the bowl and let it rest for 15 minutes.
  • Flour the bowl once the 15 minutes is done.
    Put the dough into the bowl and let it do its final rise for 3-5 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 450°F with the dutch oven inside the oven.
  • Once the oven has preheated, dump the dough Into the hot dutch oven. Put the lid on the dutch oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the lid. Bake for another 15 minutes.

Notes

Will sourdough bread dough double in size?

No, sourdough bread dough doesn’t typically double in size like it would with a commercial yeast because this is a natural yeast and it isn’t as aggressive as a commercial yeast.
Look for your dough to be puffy and bounce back when you gently poke it.

How do you bake a crusty Sourdough Bread loaf

Although it isn’t necessary, it is best to have a dutch oven for baking crusty loaves. There is one main reason that this is helpful and it is a pretty important one.
You will bake your loaf at a very high temperature. Not having a lid on your dish will cause the outside layer to crust up very quickly. Having a crusty outer layer too quickly will prevent the inside from expanding and drying out.
Keyword dry sourdough starter, sourdough crust bread