How To Activate Dehydrated Kawartha Sourdough Starter
Day 1: Empty all the contents of your dehydrated sourdough starter into a clean bowl. Add 10 ML of water and 10 Grams of AP or bread flour. Mix it well and transfer it to a mason jar. Leave the lid on top loosely, and leave it in room temp 20-23 C is ideal.
Day 2: Weigh your sourdough starter, it will likely be approximately 30 grams in weight. You will now add an equal amount of flour in weight, and an equal amount of water. This is called a 1.1.1 feeding ratio. For example, if your starter weights 30 grams, you will add 30 grams of flour and 30 grams of water. If you do not own a scale for measuring assume your starter weights 30 grams mix it with 4.4 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoons of water. Mix well and cover.
Day 3: Your starter may already have some bubbles have doubled in size, but it is unlikely that it is strong enough to bake with yet! Take 30 grams of your starter and discard the rest in the trash. Mix it with 30 grams of flour and 30 ML of water.
Day 4: Repeat the steps from day 3 every day until your starter is doubling or more a few hours after feeding it.
Once your starter is doubling or more in size for 2-3 days in a row it may be ready to bake with. Make sure you use your starter right after it reaches its peak (when it is no longer rising up) and not before. Using your starter after it reaches peak is fine, even if it has fallen down completely. Just don't use it all at once, leave enough that you can continue feeding your starter :)
Building starter strength: Your sourdough starter will thrive when it receives consistent feedings every day at the same time of day. Large feeding ratio such as 1.5.5 or 1.10.10 is beneficial to your starter and will prevent it from going acidic. Once your starter is active enough, I recommend increasing the feeding ratio to at least 1.5.5. For example 10 grams of sourdough starter, 50 grams of flour and 50 ML of water.
If you suspect your starter is acidic (soapy looking bubbles on top and strong smell) try lowering the amount of water you use during feeding and increase the flour amount try a 1.5.4 or 1.5.3 ratio. After a few days of this feeding you will notice an improvement.
it is normal for your starter to have a slight smell to it, but it should not smell horrible.
Notes:
If you do not own a scale for measuring you can use tablespoons: 1 tablespoon is approximately 8 grams of flour, and 15 ML of water.
If you are not baking every day and you are not able to feed your starter every day, put your starter in the fridge. Your starter will last days (even weeks/months) without going bad when it is kept in the fridge. It may get weaker over time and grow hooch while in the fridge. You will need to feed it for 1-3 days after it has been in the fridge to bake with it again and have successful healthy sourdough bread.
Don't forget to name your starter!