Pass it on

The nicest thing about a sourdough culture is that giving it away costs you nothing. Here is how to make your own flakes, exactly the way the ones in your packet were made.

Drying your starter

1. Feed your starter and wait until it is at its peak, lively and domed.
2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
3. Spread the starter over it in a very thin layer, as thin as you can manage with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Thin is the whole secret: thick patches stay damp inside and can spoil.
4. Leave it somewhere dry and airy at room temperature, uncovered or under a loose cloth, for one to three days.
5. It is done when it is completely brittle and snaps cleanly, with no bendy or tacky spots anywhere.
6. Break or crumble it into flakes and store in an airtight jar or bag in a cool, dark cupboard.

How long do flakes keep?

Properly dried and kept dry, years. Viability drops slowly over time, so a packet that is five years old may simply take a few extra days to revive. Keeping a bag of dried flakes in the cupboard is the cheapest insurance against losing your culture to a holiday, a house move, or a bad month.

Giving some away

• 5 to 10 g per person is plenty. 5 g revives perfectly well, 10 g gives a slightly faster start.
• A small paper envelope or zip bag is fine. Make sure the flakes are bone dry first, or they will spoil in the bag.
• Include the name, the date, and where to find instructions. Half of all gifted starters die because the recipient had no idea what to do with them.
• Tell them it takes about a week and that day three looks and smells alarming. Setting that expectation is the single most useful thing you can say.

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