How to Activate Wheat Sourdough Starter Flakes

Flour for feeding your starter:

Depending on your kit, the flour you use may vary. Please note the following:

Classic Wheat Sourdough Kit

Includes:

2 kg Kialla Organic Unbleached Plain Flour

Feed your starter exclusively with this flour to maintain a strong, active white starter.

Key benefits:

More predictable rise — easier to see when your starter has peaked and is ready to use
Milder flavour — creates a lighter, more classic sourdough taste
More forgiving — less prone to over-fermentation, giving a wider baking window
Easier to maintain — consistent feeding keeps your starter strong and active

Deluxe Wheat Sourdough Kit

Includes:

We recommend feeding your starter with a 50/50 mix of both flours.

This blend provides a richer nutrient profile, helping to boost activity and keep your starter strong and healthy.

Key benefits:

More active starter — wholegrain flour provides extra nutrients that wild yeast and bacteria thrive on
Faster rise times — increased nutrients can speed up fermentation and peak activity
Deeper, more complex flavour — adds a nuttier, earthier taste to your sourdough
Best for experienced bakers — higher activity means closer attention is needed to track peak timing

Organic Wheat Starter Jar Kit

Feed your starter exclusively with this flour to maintain a strong, active whole-rye starter.

Key benefits:

Very active fermentation — rye is highly nutritious for wild yeast and bacteria
Faster rise and peak — tends to become active more quickly
Stronger starter — supports a healthy, resilient culture
Better rise in dough — produces strong gas activity
Deeper flavour — adds a rich, earthy taste
Performs well in cool temps — stays active when wheat can slow down

Essential Tool Kit + Organic Starter

This kit does not include flour.

We recommend using a good quality, high-protein flour sourced from your local supplier.

You can also shop our range of certified organic Australian flours, ideal for sourdough baking. If you're unsure which flour to use, just message us on our chat (bottom left corner).

Video & Instructions

Watch the video and read the instructions to see how your starter should look and feel, then follow the written method below carefully.

Focus on Temperature

In ideal conditions (consistently 24–28°C), your starter should be ready to use within 24 hours — bubbly, risen, and pleasantly sour. Once temperatures begin dropping below that range, fermentation slows noticeably.

Here’s a general guide:

24–28°C → Ideal activity and strong fermentation
20–23°C → Slower but still healthy and active
16–19°C → Noticeably sluggish; bubbles and rise reduce significantly
Below 15°C → Fermentation slows dramatically and can appear stalled
Around 10°C or lower → Starter becomes mostly dormant
0–4°C → Refrigeration range; activity nearly stops

A very common issue in winter is when daytime temperatures are warm enough, but overnight drops below about 18°C interrupt fermentation and make the starter seem inactive the next morning.

That’s why maintaining a consistent temperature is often more important than simply reaching a warm peak temperature.

A shortcut to the perfect 24–28°C

→ Shop the Electric Fermenting Heat Box

Method

The following instructions are a guide only and will depend on your kitchen temperature.

1. Rehydrate the Starter

In a cleaned and sterilised jar, stir together 50ml of lukewarm water with all of the starter flakes. It is important to let them soak for 15 minutes (longer if still hard) to soften & dissolve well by using a spoon or spatula to break up any lumps before adding flour.

2. First Feed

Add 40g of bread flour. Using a spoon or jar spatula, mix thoroughly until there are no dry lumps and the flakes are well incorporated. The mixture should have a thick, porridge-like consistency. If it is hard to stir than add a few more grams of water until you get the right consistency (watch video above for a guide)

Above: after mixing there should be no dry lumps and the starter flakes should be well incorporated.

3. Wait and Watch

Place the jar in a warm spot with a consistent temperature between 24–28°C. Under ideal conditions, most starters will begin showing signs of activation within 12 hours, with small air bubbles appearing at the base of the jar. Once this happens, your starter is ready for the second feed.

Above: small bubbles is a great sign your starter is moving along as normal.

Important Note

Starter activity depends heavily on room temperature — cooler kitchens will slow things down, and overnight temperatures below 18°C can sometimes stall activity completely.If your starter seems sluggish after 24 hours in cold or winter conditions, it may only show tiny bubbles (like the image above). That’s completely normal — you can still move on to the second feed once 24 hours have passed since the first feed.

A shortcut to the perfect 24–28°C

→ Shop the Electric Fermenting Heat Box

4. Second Feed

Feed the starter again with equal parts water and flour (40g each). Stir well, mark your starter's level with a rubber band (placing it around the jar) and leave it in a warm room at 24-26°C until more bubbles appear.

5. Wait and Watch Closely

At this stage, your starter should be moving much faster. You should see it increase in size and typically become bubbly and aromatic within 3-6 hours, depending on your kitchen temperature.

Keep a close eye on it — the peak of activity only lasts a few hours before the starter begins to sink again. Aim to use your starter when it is nicely bubbly and has a pleasant, slightly fruity aroma.

Picture above: An active white starter.