My sourdough starter died and I had to choose between starting over or buying one online

I picked buying a dried starter from a bakery in San Francisco. It was active in under 24 hours and my first loaf with it had the best crumb I've ever gotten... has anyone else had better luck with a store-bought culture versus their own?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_joel3mo ago

My first starter from scratch took over two weeks to get strong. It was so frustrating. I got a dried one from a place in Vermont last year and it was bubbling in my kitchen by the next morning. That thing is still my main workhorse. Sometimes the pros have just figured out the best bugs for the job.

simonh743mo ago

Totally get that. I see it all the time with my clients, they'll buy a fancy plant instead of trying to grow it from a seed. Sometimes the expert-made foundation just works better right out of the gate. Glad your new starter is kicking butt!

morgan.logan2mo ago

Honestly, buying a proven starter is the smart move. Trying to grow one from scratch is a huge pain and half the time you just end up with weird-smelling glue. Those bakery cultures have been kept happy for years, so they're ready to work right away. It's not cheating, it's just using a better tool.