Sourdough Starter Kits

A sourdough starter kit is the quickest way to bake real sourdough at home without spending a week or two growing a starter from scratch. This page has the Mad Millie 15 Minute Sourdough Kit, spare sourdough culture sachets and a couple of bundles that pair the kit with beer or cheese making. Everything ships from our Brisbane and Melbourne warehouses.

What is in the sourdough kit

The Mad Millie 15 Minute Sourdough Kit is built around under 15 minutes of hands-on time a day and no kneading. It includes instant sourdough starter culture (enough for up to six 700g loaves, or double batches from one sachet), artisan salt, a muslin cloth, a dough scraper, a dough whisk, and recipes for original, wholemeal, fruit loaf and gluten free sourdough.

The method is simple. Mix flour, salt, culture and water in a bowl with the dough whisk, cover it, and leave it to ferment and rise for about 20 hours. Then bake in a covered oven dish. You get a hard, crispy crust with a light, airy centre.

When the kit's culture runs out, the Sourdough Culture 3 Sachet Pack tops it up. Each sachet ferments a recipe using up to 6 cups of flour, and the culture is shelf-stable for 8 months. Note that the culture contains milk.

How a sourdough starter works

A sourdough starter is a live mix of flour and water colonised by wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. The yeast produces carbon dioxide, which makes the bread rise. The bacteria produce lactic and acetic acids, which give sourdough its tang, its chew and its longer shelf life compared with bread made on commercial yeast alone.

A traditional starter is grown, not bought. The usual approach:

• Day 1: mix equal weights of flour and water in a clean jar, cover loosely and leave it at room temperature.
• Days 2 to 7 and beyond: once a day, discard about half and feed it fresh flour and water. It will smell odd for a few days as the microbes settle.
• Ready to bake: when it reliably bubbles and roughly doubles within 4 to 8 hours of a feed, it is active. That often takes one to two weeks, and longer in a cold kitchen.
• Keeping it: store it in the fridge between bakes and feed it about once a week, then give it a feed or two at room temperature before you bake.

The Mad Millie culture skips all of that. It is an instant starter that needs no cultivating or maintenance: it goes straight into the dough, so you can start a loaf on day one. It suits people who want sourdough flavour without keeping a jar alive, and it makes a handy backup if your homemade starter dies.

Flour and other fermenting

Any good bread flour works with the kit. For long, cold ferments, Caputo Nuvola Super is designed for 36 to 48 hour rises and sourdough preparations; see our Caputo flour range. If you are into fermenting generally, browse cheese, yoghurt and fermented foods or the yoghurt and kefir kits.

FAQ

Do I need to feed the Mad Millie sourdough culture?

No. It is an instant culture that goes straight into your dough mix, so there is nothing to grow or maintain.

How many loaves does the sourdough kit make?

The culture in the kit is enough for up to six 700g loaves. Refill sachets are sold separately.

How long does sourdough take to rise with the kit?

About 20 hours of fermenting and rising, with under 15 minutes of hands-on work.

Can I make gluten free sourdough?

Yes. The kit includes a gluten free sourdough recipe alongside original, wholemeal and fruit loaf.