Concept store — payments are simulated and nothing ships. This is a preview, not a real store.
Mother Dough

Shop

Type

Cart Account Help
Your first loaf, from a living starter

San Francisco, United States

Your first loaf, from a living starter

A live sourdough starter with flour, a jar and a guide to your first loaf.

Shop the collection Our story

The collection

See everything →
A starter and flour set on a warm background Starter and flour set$56.00 A sourdough baking gift set on a warm background Baking gift set$59.00 A double sourdough starter kit on a warm background Double starter kit$72.00 A sourdough starter jar on a warm background Sourdough starter jar$14.00 A bag of bread flour on a warm background Bread flour refill$12.00 A deluxe baker's sourdough kit on a warm background Deluxe baker's kit$98.00 A beginner sourdough starter kit on a warm background Beginner starter kit$52.00 A whole-grain sourdough starter kit on a warm background Whole-grain starter kit$41.00

Our story

A culture with a story

Sourdough begins with a wild thing — a living culture of natural yeast and bacteria that, fed with flour and water, raises a loaf better than any packet. Mother Dough sends you a live, active starter in a jar, along with good bread flour, a wide jar to keep it in, and a guide that walks you from first feed to first loaf. It is a simple, satisfying kind of magic: a jar on the counter, a little patience, and a warm loaf with a crackly crust. The culture is alive, so it needs feeding and a cool hand, but the guide has you covered.

Where it comes from

San Francisco, United States

A live starter culture with flour, a jar and a guide to the first loaf.

What
Sourdough starter kits
Made for
Home baking
Region
North America

How it's made

The starter is a live culture of wild yeast and bacteria, begun from flour and water and kept active through regular feeding. Each kit pairs it with freshly milled bread flour, a jar to house it, and a printed guide written by bakers who have fed a starter daily for years.

How to use it

On arrival, feed the starter with flour and water as the guide shows, and give it a day or two to settle. Then bake your first loaf following the step-by-step recipe — feed, rise, shape, proof and bake. Feed the starter whenever you use it, and keep it in the fridge between bakes.

Good to know

How long does the starter last?

With regular feeding, a starter can live for years — cultures have been passed down for generations. Keep it in the fridge between bakes and feed it before you bake, and it will outlast the flour.

What if my first loaf is dense?

That is normal for a first try, and the guide explains the fix. Dense loaves usually mean a hungry starter or a short rise — feed it longer next time and let the dough double before shaping.

When will I bake my first loaf?

Most people bake a good loaf within a few days of the kit arriving. The starter is active on arrival, so it is a matter of feeding it, following the guide and letting it rise.

Is it a food or a medicine?

It is food — a live culture for baking bread. It is not a medicine and not intended to address any condition. The sourdough is simply for baking.

How do I keep it alive?

Feed it with flour and water whenever you use it, and keep it in the fridge between bakes. The guide covers the simple routine — a feed, a rise, and a loaf — so a busy week is fine.

Is the starter really alive?

Yes. It is a live culture of wild yeast and bacteria, begun from flour and water and kept active through feeding. It will arrive active and ready to be fed and baked with.

Join the list

Notes from Mother Dough — new pieces and the people who make them. No noise.