Get a starter from a friend or local bakery

The easiest and fastest way to start baking sourdough — ask someone who already has an active starter. Most sourdough bakers are happy to share, and many artisan bakeries will give away or sell small portions of their house culture.

How to Get One

• Ask a friend or neighbor who bakes sourdough — they likely have more discard than they know what to do with
• Call local artisan bakeries — many will share or sell starter if you bring your own jar
• Online communities — Reddit r/Sourdough, Facebook groups like "Sharing Fermented Starters," and The Fresh Loaf forum have members who regularly share starters by mail
• Nextdoor or local baking groups — neighborhood sharing is common

Receiving Fresh Starter

1. Feed within 24 hours of receiving
2. Discard to 20g, feed with 50g flour and 50g water
3. Give it 2-3 feedings over 24-48 hours to recover from transport
4. It should be bake-ready almost immediately

Tips

• A gifted starter is already established with a healthy microbial community — no 7-14 day creation period
• Transport at room temperature for short distances; use a cooler for longer trips
• The starter will gradually adapt to your flour and kitchen environment over a few weeks