The heart of every loaf
Compare our established white, rye and spelt cultures and choose the right beginning for the bread you want to bake.
Find your culture
Each culture can be maintained for years. The main difference is its character and the kind of bread you most want to bake.
Compare the cultures
There is no wrong choice. Pick the culture whose flavour and baking style feels most like yours.
The easiest place to begin. A dependable all-round culture that works with a wide range of recipes and flours.
A lively culture with a deeper character. A good choice for bakers drawn to darker, fuller-flavoured bread.
A distinctive culture for bakers who enjoy the softer flavour and character of spelt and wholegrain loaves.
Choose your format
Both become a healthy, active starter with regular feeding. Choose by when you plan to start and how you want it delivered.
An active culture containing flour and water. Feed it when it arrives and begin learning its rhythm straight away.
A dehydrated form of the culture. Store it until you are ready, then revive it gradually using the included instructions.
A more confident beginning
Creating a starter from flour and water can be rewarding, but it can also leave a new baker wondering whether anything is working. An established culture gives you a known starting point while you learn.
From delivery to dough
Refresh your culture by following the instructions for its wet or dried format.
Watch how it rises, bubbles and changes. These signs matter more than the clock.
Use a portion in your dough once the culture is active and rising predictably.
Feed and store what remains, ready to wake again for your next loaf.
More than a pouch of starter
Use our step-by-step starter guide when your culture arrives. If you also need a jar, flour or baking tools, begin with a complete starter kit instead.
Before you choose
Our Strong White Seaside Starter is the simplest all-round choice. Its mild character suits white bread, pizza, focaccia and many everyday sourdough recipes.
Yes. A healthy starter can adapt to different flours. Make the change gradually and expect its feeding rhythm, aroma and texture to shift slightly.
Yes. Our white, rye and spelt cultures are made with gluten-containing grains and are not suitable for a gluten-free diet.
These individual starter products contain the culture and guidance stated on their product page. A jar, flour and baking tools are only included where the listing says so. Choose a starter kit if you need the wider set-up.
That depends on the format, room temperature and feeding conditions. Bake when the starter rises predictably after feeding rather than relying on a fixed number of hours or days.
Yes. With regular feeding and sensible storage, a sourdough culture can be maintained indefinitely. Each bake uses only a portion, leaving the rest to feed and keep.
Sourdough by the Sea
AI can make mistakes. For food safety or order-specific questions, check the linked guide or contact us.
