Dried Sourdough Starter

There are really only a few questions that need to be answered for this product: (1) is it easy to get going and maintain, (2) did it work, and (3) does it taste good. Overall, I am very pleased with this sourdough starter. Before I give a more detailed review, I will give a quick summary addressing the main points: (1) It was easy to activate and is easy to maintain (2) Works just fine, with the caveat that I'm still trying to get a good rise out of it. This is not a biggie because I am using flours and grains that normally result in a fairly dense bread. The starter can get quite active and bubbly, so I think I'll be able to do better. I will update this review if needed (I will be making some experiments with stone ground whole wheat soon). Edited 9/20/12: it really does seem to be me--I tried using regular bakers yeast as the leavening (using the starter just for savor) and actually lost ground. (3) It is yummy--I've gotten really good tastes from mixing oat bran and rye into the base barley feed I give it. Edited 9/17/12: I got this starter during a Summer warm spell--under those conditions, which seem to have favored the production of lactic acid, it had a very fruity smell and taste, now that things are cooling down, it's developed a more vinegary taste and aroma. I've also experimented with adding some chickpea flour (besan) into the feedings and that resulted in an interesting tang too. I have had a fair amount of experience with sourdough starters, including making them from scratch, but recently when I decided I wanted to do some baking with rye and barley, didn't have any on hand, and definitely didn't want to go the DIY route, so I was happy to see that it was so easy to find online sources--though it should be noted that this particular starter is not advertised to be suitable for grains other than wheat. Breadtopia sends a package that contains enough dried starter crumbs to make three attempts to get a starter going (or to keep around as a backup if you lose one through neglect or it goes bad). There are also instructions included--I was relieved to see that unlike some other starters I've used, this one did not have a complex activation process or feeding cycle. In this case, I chose to see if I could activate the starter using the same barley flour I was going to use for baking and it worked just fine, with a few deviations from the script Breadtopia provided-- I added at least twice the water, possibly this was necessary due to the fact I was using a different kind of flour and grain, but I think Breadtopia's bakers prefer a spongier texture for their starter, while I made adjustments to reflect my experience that starters do best with a slurrylike consistency. The main difference was that the timing was accelerated--in my kitchen and with the Sustagrain barley flour as a food, everything happened in about half the time stipulated in the instructions. This could well have been due to the fact that my kitchen was fairly warm, ranging from the low 70s to low 80s. You can tell that it's activated because it bubbles almost to the point of simmering, but it does take some time or a few more feeding cycles to get a good sour flavor. Also, regarding taste, I preferred the flavor when I added some rye or oat bran into the feed.

This is a great starter! For many reasons I have had to make a new Sourdough starter over the years. When this happens I have always turned to Breadtopia's sourdough dough starter. Not only does it arrive quickly, but it is packaged professionally and activates quickly and easily and has you baking bread in no time whether you're a beginner or an old pro. I have used both the dry and the live starter that they offer and they are both excellent. I have also gifted this starter to many friends and family looking to begin their sourdough journey. I highly recommend it. The photo shows three loafs I made using the Breadtopia starter...

I started a a newbie of sourdough with this dried starter. The instructions are easy to follow my starter is very happy. Highly recommend this.

I have been making sourdough for a few years now and I actually sell it. This was my very first starter I ever tried. It worked for about a week or so before it finally died. It’s good for beginners to give yourself a trial run, but honestly, it’s much easier to just make your own. I’m not saying it died because of the product itself because I was definitely new at it when I bought this. As far as the taste, it’s pretty good, but definitely not sour enough for me. It is fresh and you get a good sized amount for what you pay for. I really don’t have any complaints about this. I say make it yourself because it’s easy enough, but this is a good place to start.

It has been years since I had a starter on-hand in the refrigerator and this has been the most effortless experience of all. After five days this packet of dry sourdough starter has created a flavorful vigorous starter. Previously I made my own starter with pineapple juice which took forever and have used other brands of dry starter but this one is strong and unfussy. Patience is important so allow time to get the starter going in sufficient quantity before first use—approximately five or six days. Also, note there are no instructions printed on the packet but the website has a wealth of instructional information and videos on how to start and maintain the sourdough along with lots of recipes and to avoid issues it is well worth the time to watch them. The instructions and maintenance material may also be printed from the website, if desired. So far I’ve made two batches of waffles (King Arthur flour waffle/pancake recipe) over the weekend that were incredibly tasty. First remove a cup of the sourdough starter from its jar, add two cups of flour, two cups of buttermilk and two tablespoons sugar, stir well, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it out overnight. In the morning I added the remaining ingredients to create the waffle batter—two eggs, 3/4 teaspoon salt, one teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 cup oil and then cooked the waffles. I froze the extras for toaster waffles. . After I removed the cup of starter I replenished it by adding a cup of flour and 2/3 cup lukewarm filtered water, combined it well with a whisk, covered the jar and left it out overnight. Next day I stored it in the refrigerator for use next weekend. I look forward to making bread and doughnuts. Excellent starter.

Finally a starter brand that worked. I was originally debating getting this due to the price given that the last three I’ve tried (different brands) didn’t work and didn’t want to keep wasting money but convinced myself this was the last time. SO worth the $$$. This was my forth brand, to attempt to get a starter to grow and it WORKED. Packaging is small size of a sandwich bag was a fair amount inside it. The QR code once scanned brought me to the website where it had super EASY follow along step by step directions. Recipes I’ve made oatmeal cream pies, breads, crackers, baguettes, cinnamon rolls and so much more. Love how my house smells of fresh bread when I bake it off in the morning. Everything tasted DELICIOUS, I get that nice crisp texture outside and soft slightly dense inside , freshness of the bread keeps for few days if left out longer if kept in the fridge once baked. I’ve had it going for 3 months now, it’s still thriving. If trying to grow a sourdough starter get this one

I followed the directions and babied my starter along for seven days as recommended. I made my first loaf of bread yesterday and it was delicious. It was as good as any sourdough as I've ever had before. I'm really pleased with this product. I'm a novice bread maker and although sourdough may seem daunting, it was really easy using this product. The packet has enough for three batches of starter just in case something goes wrong. The preparation was pretty straightforward. I used a glass canister jar, the starter and room temperature bottled spring water (just in case anything in my city water would goof it up). Just mix it per directions (use a plastic mixing spoon), leave on the counter and feed once or twice daily for the first seven days. Then feed it once per week. This makes a really tangy loaf with a good chew versus some sourdough that I've had that was fairly bland and nondescript. The prepared starter has a pretty strong smell, however it's not an unpleasant one. It's tangier than the Amish starter that I'm making and that one uses milk that sits at room temperature. I figured that would REALLY smell strong, but this one is stronger. Following a recipe I found on line, I used some of my prepared starter and made a delicious loaf with a nice crispy crust. After mixing and a slight knead, I just sort of free formed a loaf and put it on a lightly floured sheet pan. I wouldn't call it fluffy, but the inside was light with very few air pockets which made a beautiful slice. It slices better the second day. (I probably should have let it cool longer before slicing when i took it out of the oven the first day.). The second day I thinly sliced what was leftover, popped it in the oven to toast it and used it for bruschetta. Delicious. If you're even considering making your own sourdough, I highly recommend this starter. Give it a week, very little effort and you'll be very happy with your results.

This was gift to my daughter who uses all organic flours and such. Worked well first couple of days then grew mold! Not sure how to prevent this but due to price and the mold issue we will not recommend. Thank you. Update…..my daughter does not think it was bad starter but something else causing mold…. so updated rating.

Useful

Brilliant thats all I can say, will use again

Long review coming here but I’m just so happy with the product and have a few tips for you! I decided to give this a go after trying to make three of my own starters and all of them moulding and let me tell you- I do not regret it!! I followed the instructions to a T and even took the time to watch the videos on their website. You can see in photo 1 what it looked like just two day in (already had a few tiny bubbles) Photo 2 was around 3-4 days in and at that point was rising about a fourth of the way with feeds. Photo 3 was before I made my first loaf (11 days after activating the starter) and it passed the float test with flying colours! Photo 4 is of my first loaf- it came out wonderful but the loafs I’ve made sense come out ever better! Photo 5 is from a few days ago (probably my 4th or 5th loaf. And I find that they’re now coming out very consistent, fluffy and airy. And photo 6 is my starter now, she always doubles in size after a feeding and I just stick to feeding with 1/3 c flour and 1/4c water every time now! A few things worth noting: • Don’t worry about the smell! It differed a lot in the first couple weeks. I smelt yeast, vinegar, almost a stinky feet smell, sour and probably a few other things hhaha. Thats just the starter finding its footing as you find yours with feeding it and caring for it. I find it now pretty consistently smells like healthy yeast with a tiny bit of a ting to it! • If you have a cooler home, I’d suggest placing your starter over your kitchen heating vent after feeds, I find this really speeds up the fermentation process. And also after putting a loaf together and once you’re starting the process of fermentation and stretching, place the bowl with your dough in the oven. Not on! Just in the over as it’s warmer and there’s no temperature fluctuating in there so it helps it to ferment well. • make sure to use unbleached four! Bleached flour can slow or even kill the fermentation process (and who wants bleach in their flour anyways!?!) • also make sure to use distilled water when feeding (tap is perfectly fine for loaves). This doesn’t mean having to go out and buy water just to feed your starter- distilled water is just boiled. Yes, store bought is boiled into vapour and then that vapour is collected and that becomes that jug of water where as at home it’s just boiled but it does very close to the same thing and I find it works super well every time. Just make sure to let the water cool fully before using it to feed your starter or it will kill it. I just always have my kettle with leftover water from teas and whatnot on my counter and ready to use! So all of that said, DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS STARTER! It’s worked absolutely as described and honestly I feel like the few bad reviews must have done something wrong on their end😅 or maybe happened to get a dud bag of flakes. And that too! I still have more than enough flakes to share with friends or if (Lord forbid lol) anything happens to my starter, I know I can super easily start another and have bread in like a week. 100/10 recommend.

I named her Aunty Olga and she is still kicking it a year later! The instructions were confusing as heck, even with the videos, but it's a pretty robust starter and she's able to take a lot of neglect. Don't judge me, I have too many living things to take care of!

I am really impressed not only with the sourdough starter but the company and it’s philosophy. The starter worked like a dream, after dissolving it in warm water and starting to feed it I was able to bake my first sourdough bread on day 4. See photo. On its website the company gives recipes and, what’s even more important for me, instructions on how to dry your own starter, freeze it et cetera to preserve it long term. Highly recommended.