Say "I loaf you" with fresh sourdough bread More than a food, bread is a love language all its own, and the foundation for so many of the most cherished dishes around the world. Bread is a whole sensory experience—the heavenly scent of loaves baking, the enticing crunch of crust breaking, and the comfort of soft, warm bread in your mouth. Everything included in your Artisan Bread Kit (plus instructions and recipes): Sourdough Starter Our famous San Francisco Style sourdough starter! This dehydrated heirloom culture will wait patiently on the shelf until you're ready to start. Baker's Scale Use this compact digital kitchen scale for weighing ingredients with precision. It has an LCD display, 2000g capacity, and is accurate to 0.1g. Dough Scraper + Bread Lame The scraper makes it easy to keep a clean workspace. The handcrafted lame, or scorer, has an ergonomic wooden handle and comes with 5 extra blades. Butter Muslin This fine-weave cloth, similar to cheesecloth, is made with 100% unbleached cotton and is the perfect breathable jar cover for your sourdough starter. Why San Francisco sourdough? That West Coast taste you love, right in your own kitchen Sourdough starters are created from wild yeast growing in mixtures of flour and water. The foggy environment in San Francisco fosters a particularly pleasant strain, which is why the city's sourdough has been so acclaimed since all the way back to the Gold Rush. By capturing that strain, we're able to let you replicate that famously tangy flavor, firm crust, and soft yet chewy consistency at home. San Fran aside, sourdough stays fresh longer than regular bread, and provides more health benefits. Previous page Say It With Sourdough The Gift That Keeps on Giving You'll have a limitless sourdough supply as long as you keep your starter fed. You're In Control Get Started Once You're Ready You can choose to rehydrate and start culturing whenever you please. (Hint—makes a great gift.) Fun for the Whole Family Your Yummiest Pastime Keeping a sourdough starter in the house is like caring for a plant…that grows delicious bread. Countless Discard Recipes Make Wide Variety of Baked Goods You're not limited to simply sourdough bread—you can make pizza dough, bagels, pie crust, and more! Next page 1 Heirloom Style 2 Dehydrated 3 DIY Hobby 4 Versatile Why Sourdough Is Good For Your Gut Probiotics in Sourdough Starter As your starter ferments, the wild yeast and bacteria consume the sugar content in the flour you feed it, effectively pre-digesting it and making it easier for your body to process. Although the probiotics won't survive the baking process, they've already gotten the job done. Prebiotics in Sourdough Bread While finished sourdough loaves don't contain probiotics, they are chock-full of prebiotics, a type of fiber which helps the other end of digestion. The bacteria that reside in your gut will feed on the prebiotics, releasing nutrients to your body. How do I store the starter? Store your starter in a mason jar with a loose-fitting lid. You can store at room temperature on your counter (starters perform best at 70-85ºF), but we do recommend storing your starter in the fridge to reduce feeding time and waste. How do I feed my sourdough starter? If storing on your countertop, you should feed your sourdough culture once every 24 hours using 1 part starter, 1 part water, and 2 parts flour. If you store it in the fridge, you only have to feed it once every 5-7 days. What is the best flour and water for feeding my starter? You may use just about any flour you like, but we recommend avoiding bleached flour, self-rising flour, or cake flour. Non-chlorinated, non-fluoridated water is best; avoid well water, distilled water, and reverse osmosis water. What do I do with my sourdough starter discard? You could throw it out, or put it in your compost. You can also keep it in a separate jar for up to a week at room temperature or a month in the fridge, and use it for all sorts of recipes, such as waffles, crackers, desserts, and more. (See below.) How can I tell whether or not my starter is healthy? The main thing to keep your eye on is making sure your starter is bubbling; if not, it's likely dead, due to using the wrong flour or water, an unsanitized jar, or screwing the lid on too lightly. Check out more of our sourdough products! Previous page San Francisco Style Sourdough Starter Our bestselling San Francisco sourdough starter. This is a dehydrated culture, giving you more flexibility if you don't want to start right away—perfect for gifts. See More Endless Fresh San Francisco Sourdough Starter If you want to get "doughing" right away, our Fresh Sourdough Starter is perfect for you. For best results, this live culture should be opened and fed within 24-48 hours of receipt. See More Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter Sourdough is already easier to digest than regular bread, but if you'd rather avoid gluten altogether, this is the starter for you. Enjoy delicious sourdough without worry. See More Rye Sourdough Starter Make deliciously dense, rustic rye sourdough bread with that deep, earthy flavor. Rye is lower in gluten than wheat and thus doesn't require kneading. See More Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter This Flemish-style starter lets you make a sourdough version of that nutrient-rich whole wheat bread—also a great choice for making noodles, muffins, and more. See More Next page Sourdough is one of the most forgiving cultures to work with, making it a great choice for beginners or breadmaking pros. Our line of sourdough starters gives you the chance to bake your own delicious artisan bread at home—perfect for sandwiches, with butter or jam, or simply fresh from the oven.