A sourdough starter kit is the first step for every person on their sourdough journey – purchasing the basics. Understanding what tools are the basics (and which ones are plain overrated), can help kickstart a wonderful journey of homemade bread making.
If you are looking for a holiday gift guide for a sourdough lover – consider this it. First make them a bread lover, then give them the great activity of keeping a healthy sourdough starter alive!
Whether you are looking to help someone start on their sourdough journey or continue to grow (pun totally intended) their labor of love, enjoy this blog post.
From kitchen equipment and ways to buy or make sourdough starter all the way to favorite recipes, these are our tried and true sourdough starter basics. If you are a sourdough veteran, you might want to check out our sourdough starter kit upgrades!
Top 5 Sourdough Starter Kit Basics
- A sourdough starter – of course!
Purchase a local sourdough starter kit
Some people enjoy buying a sourdough starter kit (like the popular Ballerina Farms sourdough starter, Pop Cultures sourdough starter kit, your own breadtopia sourdough starter kit, Old San Francisco sourdough starter, or any of the 100’s off Etsy).
These are fun because they come with live cultures that include dried sourdough starter culture, feeding directions, a bread basket, silicone spatula and easy to follow instructions.
They also have a customer service team ready to help you make their first incredible sourdough bread within a couple of days or a couple weeks.
How to share sourdough starter
It can also be cost effective to share sourdough starter with a friend or to make your own from scratch. If you are gifting someone sourdough starter, consider giving some of your recently fed active sourdough starter and a jar with a little flour. This will help them on the first feeding.
They might even enjoy a list of famous sourdough nickname ideas for their first loaf and their own sourdough starter. Ensure they are equipped for success with detailed instructions and sourdough tips (like the fridge storage method).
Alternatively, give them dried sourdough starter (aka start in the dehydrated state), or frozen sourdough starter. All options allow them to adjust their timeline. They can continue a regular feeding and have their first bread rise in only a couple weeks.
By sharing sourdough starter, you do not have to worry about waiting for the sourdough starter to arrive to their home – aka the final destination.
- Kitchen scale and / or measuring cups / spoons
While a majority of recipes on our website measure by cups, other sourdough recipes require accurate measurements via a scale. Kitchen scales which can convert between grams and ounces are an added bonus.
While there are minimal “rules”in sourdough, many of which beg to be broken- baking is a science. A scale can be the trick to nailing your perfect sourdough loaf.
These are our favorite bowls with lids. It is great because they cover the bowl, but they do not seal it enough for the lid to pop off when fermentation is occurring. As an added bonus, it helps us on our attempt to have a frugal kitchen and use plastic wrap less!
If you do not want to break the bank for a dutch oven, make sure you have a baking sheet. A baking sheet is a must for any baker.
Not only does it allow you to cook multiple loaves of bread at one time without needing a Dutch oven, it also is the perfect pan for any sourdough cookie or sourdough bagel recipe.
Having a storage container on hand to hold your sourdough starter is especially useful. Keeping a clean jar not only prevents mold, but also keeps a happy sourdough starter which is easy to watch rise and fall on the countertop.
I have two – a mason jar and a large one I bought mine from Hobby Lobby. I prefer the glass jar from Hobby Lobby because it has minimal grooves on the top and a removable lid for easy cleaning.
Best Sourdough Starter Kit (Add – Ons)
Of course there are a few things to make this the best sourdough starter kit for beginners. Some of our favorites to make within your sourdough starter kit a great gift include recipes, measuring utensils and tea towels.
- Your favorite sourdough recipe
It is always fun to give friends ideas for your favorite recipes. You know the ones – the tried and true sourdough recipes that just fill your cup. Ours are sourdough cinnamon rolls and sourdough chocolate chip bagels.
- Organic, unbleached flour
Whether you begin a sourdough starter from scratch or receive one as a gift, having flour on hand is necessary to feed your starter the right ratio to keep thriving.
There are two types of flour we like to have on hand to begin a sourdough starter from scratch. These include whole wheat flour and all purpose flour. We use bread flour for many baked goods, including sourdough chocolate chip bagels and our Aldi sourdough bread copycat recipe.
A good unbleached, organic flour can lead to the best results when making a starter. Not only does it ensure the natural bacteria is on the grains, it also ensures the best- chemical free flour is the base for your homemade sourdough recipes. IT also en
A cooling rack can be helpful to allow bread and baked goods to cool on both the top and the bottom. Bread and baked goods sitting in a loaf pan or on a hot baking sheet can cook too long. It can even create condensation on the bottom of the bread. This can cause the baked goods to get moldy faster.
- Kitchen or tea towels *without a pattern or print!*
Having dedicated towels to bread making can make your job easier. They help to keep moisture in bread during a long ferment and reduce kitchen waste. They also make sure nothing (like fruit flies) wiggle their way into your baked goods or starter.
Learn from my mistake and buy something without a print (like the ones above). While the lemons and yellow lines looked cool on the outside of my bread, the color was permanent. I had to toss an otherwise great loaf of bread.
What is one item you would recommend to a person at the beginning of their sourdough journey to make the ultimate sourdough starter kit? Our top pick would be sourdough starter and extra flour to feed it. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Such a great idea as a gift, I love this, thank you!
You are welcome. Enjoy!
Love this! Such a good gift idea for someone who is just starting out with sourdough.
Thank you!