Apron Maven Premium Sourdough Starter Culture - San Francisco Style Heirloom Dehydrated With Simple Activation Instructions for Homemade Artisan Bread Baking

I've used a few starters over the years, but this was the first time I ever bought a dried starter online, so I was curious and a bit anxious if it would work the same as others. It did take a week to rehydrate and revive it, but once it was ready to use, the bread I make with it is amazing! This starter is powerful, it works fast and makes the dough rise well. I'm very pleased with this purchase.

What I received appeared to be old, dried up crust or crusted dough. So, I followed the instructions to a "T". I mixed with the appropriate amount of warm, filtered water and flour. I put the mixture in a clean "Starter Jar" and marked the level, accordingly. The following day, I did not see much in the way of bubbling or a rise in the level. I smelled it, and it smelled a little off but, it had been a while, so I followed through with the instructions for days 2 & 3. By now, there was clearly no rising, and the dough had a rancid smell. I poured the mixture down the drain. I cleaned and rinsed the container, thoroughly, and started over. This time, I used; regular, off-the-shelf bread yeast that one can buy at any grocery store or market. Following the same instructions as on the "starter kit", I was impressed by the results. The mixture would easily double in size while "working", and reduce in volume (mostly) once the yeast had consumed most of the sugars. Each day, I added four and war, filtered water, as suggest (Same water, by the way) with outstanding results. It is day 6 now, and I will be baking with my absolutely wonderfully smelling sour dough, tomorrow. I will repeat the process through the next week. I think my goal is to have fresh bread and/or pizza dough every weekend! I can't wait! Why bother with the kits? Just get yourself some good yeast and get it going. No one will ever know the difference!!!

MUST BUY STARTER! This is a great starter and would recommend it to anyone looking to start their sour dough journey. Not only do you get a starter to make bread with but you get access to the 5 star support chat. The seller provides excellent customer service. I was having some trouble in the beginning but she helped me work through the steps and ensured that I ended up with a healthy bubbly starter. Not only that but she goes above and beyond to ensure you are happy with the product.

First, this culture is not from San Francisco, but is instead from New York City. It’s just a basic starter packet with some yeasts to get your starter going much easier than making one from scratch. Starters take the life of wherever and whatever they are made with over time, so what and how you feed it will be the biggest contributor to your starter in time. This starter takes a week before it is usable, and like all starters, you’ll use half and then give away or throw away the rest (or use the leftover half in pancakes/waffles/something), so unless you bake bread quite regularly, it will become wasteful as the days and weeks go forward. However, this is a good way to get a starter going that should work without issue. How long you keep it going is up to you. As others have noted, go by weight (equal weight), not volume (equal cup measurements). Some basic internet research will supplement the included instructions.

As an experienced sourdough baker, I usually dread the time-consuming process of creating a new starter. Opting for convenience, I tried this sourdough starter and was not disappointed. Although I didn't follow the instructions exactly, the clarity and support offered are noteworthy (didn't use the support, didn't need it!) Impressively, the starter was bubbling within 24 hours and looked remarkably active by the 50-hour mark, surpassing my expectations. (I used bottled water and unbleached King Arthur flour). It smells fantastic, indicating its readiness for baking. This starter is perfect for anyone looking to dive into sourdough baking or seeking a high-quality, reliable starter. Highly recommended!!

Followed directions. Didn't work. Emailed customer service and asked them to send me a replacement. NO HELP. Said to contact them by chat. I have never had luck with ANY CHAT (takes too long and mostly never resolved). Emailed back saying NO THANKS and would review their product.

Flavorful, Delicious and Fast! This starter was jumping and happy so fast! Was baking my baguettes by day five! The best sourdough baguettes I've ever tasted! Was hesitant to get a starter off Amazon without recommendation, but my eye just fell on this and I decided to try this brand. Boy is this a happy starter! I love love love the packaging and I bought another one to gift my friends mom. I'm not sure why some complain about San Francisco Style, they obviously didn't read the description where it says it's "rooted" in SF and is now being fed in New York, I don't see the problem with that, my grandparents had an Italian starter here in the states for years.

I had never baked sourdough before. This starter comes with easy to follow instructions so even a beginner should be ready to bake delicious sourdough in about a week. I’m getting delicious flavors just like I would look for at a good bakery. I usually only bake at the weekend, so my starter lives in the fridge most of the time. It seems to handle that well. I take it out the fridge and warm it to room temperature before feeding a few hours before I start baking and then return to the fridge.