When I teach people to bake the healthiest bread in the world I share my sourdough starter and give my student a pot on every sourdough course. Many of our students ask me about the practicalities of taking their sourdough starters on the journey home with them. They have travelled from all over the world to visit the school, so it’s only natural to have concerns about getting fresh starter back home. But in fact, it’s very straightforward. Sourdough starters, when they are refreshed correctly, can remain out of the fridge for between 24 and 36 hours, as long as the starter is kept at a regular temperature. This means that most journeys can be accomplished between refreshments… if not, it’s very easy to maintain your starter while still on the road (or train, or plane!)
My Tips on How to Travel with a Sourdough Starter
When you leave the school, we supply you with a small pot travel which contains 80g of sourdough starter. We also give you a bag for the starter to travel in. We refresh the starter on the last day of the course before you leave, to ensure it’s at the optimum point and ready to travel home. We also supply small bags of flour, so if anybody needs to continue refreshing their sourdough starter for a few days before they go home or on the journey, then they are able to do so. Keeping your starter healthy is a very simple process, and will be fully explained on the course. But the instructions are here in case you forget.
HOW TO REFRESH WHEN TRAVELING
Essentially, to refresh your starter you take ¾ (60g) of the starter out of the 80g we give you. Then stir 25g of water and 35g of flour into the remaining ¼. All you’ll need is a small spoon or, at a push, you can use your finger for mixing. This ratio of flour and water keeps your starter slightly thicker than you would normally have it, which slows down the rate at which the bacteria consume their food source.
There are a couple of considerations to bear in mind – the main one to remember is that your sourdough starter is still fermenting, and is going to be producing gas. It’s worth opening the lid every few hours to release these. If you forget, the worst that can happen is that the gases build up and pop the lid so that a little of it spills out into the bag. This isn’t really a problem because you can simply wash the starter out of the bag when you get home, and you will only need 20-25g of it to refresh anyway.
Should I dry my sourdough starer to travel with?
There are some people who recommend drying your starer to travel with. Drying your sourdough starter should only be done if absolutely necessary, as it can lead to a loss of microbial diversity, which is essential for its flavour, aroma, and fermentation strength. The unique balance of microbes in a starter is what makes it robust, and disrupting this can weaken its performance.
If you do need to dry your starter, ensure that the temperature remains ambient during the process. Avoid any heat that might harm the microbes. Once dried, it’s crucial to regenerate the microbial life when you rehydrate it. Use whole-grain organic flour for the first refreshments, as this provides the best nutrients to support the microbes. Refresh the starter twice back-to-back when bringing it back to life, as this helps rebuild the microbial community and restores its vitality. By taking these steps, you’ll give your starter the best chance to return to its original vibrancy and perform as it should.
Taking your sourdough on an aeroplane.
I don’t recommend keeping the bags of flour in your hand luggage, because more than likely you will be stopped and have it tested at the airport. But I do prefer to carry my starter in hand luggage, although it can also safely travel in the hold and it will get cold, but certainly shouldn’t come to any harm. If you decide to take it in your hand luggage, remember that it will be subject to the restrictions on liquids and gels, so don’t try to carry too much. I also find it helps to clearly label the container or bag with the contents… if nothing else it can lead to some interesting conversations at security!
It’s really not a problem to travel with your sourdough starter. I’ve taken mine all over the world. In fact, the sourdough starter you will be leaving The Sourdough School a starter that has already been all over Europe, as well as to India and the USA. So we’re sharing a very well-travelled starter with you!
Real Sourdough meeting with DEFRA update 2023 There is now a code of Practice
Can I ship to Tennessee? I have my own sourdough starter, and my daughter wants some!
Yes, you can definitely mail your starter. My preferred method is to spread it very thin on parchment paper and let it dry it out for several days to make it easier to ship. Then your daughter could just refresh it when she receives it by dissolving the dried pieces of starter in water and then feeding as usual.
Does it have to be fresh or can I take it and travel five hours and feed it on the other side?
Or take it out of the fridge right before leaving
And put it in my carry on and let if get warm over the flight?
Sorry — see my reply to your other comment!
Hi! I am wondering if I need to let it breathe the entire time or if I can secure a lid on it and just open to off gas every couple hours?
I am planning on doing a 5 hour trip.
Hi Erin – yes as you suggest you can let it breathe every now and then.
How do you take it in the hold when you can not release the gas hourly?
Hi there. You can take the starter and feed it on the other side or take it out of the fridge right before leaving, but it is better to feed it before traveling to ensure that it stays healthy. For a shorter travel trips these methods will be easier, but longer trips we do recommend feeding it before traveling. Taking it in the hold, it is often going to be colder than room temperature so it shouldn’t need to be released as often or at all. Keeping it in a bag can help to avoid any messes in case it does pop the lid off.