Your Kneva dry sourdough starter is alive — it's just sleeping. Dried at peak activity and packed with wild yeast and bacteria, it only needs a little warmth, water, and flour to wake back up. Follow these three simple steps and you'll have a bubbly, active starter ready to bake with in just 1–2 days.
Step 1: The First Hydration
Combine 10 g of your Kneva dry starter with 20 g of lukewarm water (around 28–32°C / 82–90°F) in a clean jar. Stir well to dissolve the dry flakes completely. Leave the mixture uncovered or loosely covered for 15 minutes to let the grains absorb the water and begin to soften.
After the 15-minute rest, add 10 g of flour (all-purpose or bread flour works well), mix thoroughly, then cover loosely with a cloth or lid. Place the jar somewhere warm — the top of your fridge, near a warm oven, or anywhere around 24–27°C / 75–80°F.
Step 2: The First Feed (12–24 Hours Later)
Keep an eye on your starter. Within 12–24 hours, you should start to see bubbles forming — a sign that the wild yeast is waking up. The aroma may be tangy or slightly funky at first; that's completely normal.
Once you see bubbles, it's time to feed:
- Discard half of the mixture.
- Add 10 g of flour and 10 g of water.
- Mix well, cover loosely, and let it rest in a warm spot again.
If you don't see any bubbles yet after 24 hours, give it another 12 hours — some starters take a little longer to fully rehydrate.
Step 3: The Final Feed — Time to Bake
Within 1–2 days of the first feed, your starter should be visibly bubbly and have roughly doubled in size. This means your wild yeast is active, strong, and ready for action.
Give it one final feed to build strength and volume:
- Add 50 g of flour and 50 g of water.
- Mix well, cover, and wait until it has doubled in size again (typically 4–8 hours in a warm spot).
Once it has doubled after this final feed, your Kneva starter is fully reactivated and ready to bake. Use it at its peak — when it's domed and just beginning to plateau — for the best rise and flavour in your bread.
Tips for Success
- Temperature matters. A warm environment (24–27°C / 75–80°F) speeds up fermentation. A cold kitchen will slow things down — just be patient.
- Use a clear jar. Being able to see the sides makes it easy to track when your starter has doubled.
- Mark your jar. Place a rubber band or a piece of tape at the level of your starter after each feed so you can easily see how much it has risen.
- Don't rush it. The starter has been dormant — let it come back to life at its own pace. Rushing with extra feedings before it's ready can dilute the yeast activity.
Storing Your Starter Going Forward
Once active, you can keep your starter in the fridge and feed it once a week to maintain it. When you're ready to bake, simply take it out, feed it, and let it come to room temperature and double before using.
Happy baking from the Kneva team — we can't wait to see what you create!