{"product_id":"italian-00-sourdough-starter","title":"Rustic Italian '00' Sourdough Starter — Live, Never Dehydrated","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA live Italian '00' sourdough starter that is ready to bake with in two hours, not a week.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOur San Francisco culture — tested at NCIMB and confirmed to contain \u003cem\u003eLactobacillus sanfranciscensis\u003c\/em\u003e as its dominant lactic acid bacteria — maintained on finely milled Italian '00' flour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat '00' does to a starter\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'00' is a grading of how finely the flour is milled, not how strong it is: the softest, silkiest grind Italian mills produce. A culture kept on it ferments a touch more slowly and steadily than one on rye or wholemeal, because there is less bran and less enzyme activity driving it along.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat restraint is the point. The sourness stays mild and the flavour of the wheat comes forward, which is exactly what you want under a tomato and a slick of oil rather than competing with it. It is the starter to reach for if you are making \u003cstrong\u003epizza\u003c\/strong\u003e, focaccia, ciabatta or a light open-crumbed white loaf — anywhere a heavy sour note would bully the other ingredients. It also handles a long cold prove in the fridge particularly gracefully, which is how most good pizza dough is made.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy ours is different\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost starters sold in the UK arrive as a dry powder and need five to seven days of daily feeding before they will lift a loaf. Ours is \u003cstrong\u003enever dehydrated\u003c\/strong\u003e — it is a live culture, packed dormant and shelf-stable, so it wakes in about two hours and bakes the same day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eHow to use — three-step activation\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEmpty the pack into a clean jar.\u003c\/strong\u003e Add 30 g of Italian '00' flour and 30 g of water at roughly 30°C — warm to the touch, not hot.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStir to a thick paste and leave somewhere warm for two hours.\u003c\/strong\u003e You are looking for bubbles across the surface and a noticeable rise.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFeed once more, then bake.\u003c\/strong\u003e Your first loaf may be mild, but the flavour gets more sour after each feed.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat you get\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e15 g of live culture in a resealable kraft pack\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrinted activation and care instructions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFree next-day UK delivery when you order by 2pm — no minimum spend\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAllergens: contains wheat (gluten).\u003c\/strong\u003e Packed in Bristol in a kitchen that also handles wheat, rye, spelt and barley.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently asked questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIs this a different culture from the San Francisco starter?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo — it is the same culture, from the same 46-year-old mother, verified by genetic sequencing at NCIMB. The difference is the flour it has been maintained on, which shapes how it behaves and how the finished loaf tastes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCan I switch it to a different flour later?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. Feed it on whatever flour you want to bake with and it will adapt over a few feeds. Plenty of bakers keep one jar and move it around.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow long does it keep before I open it?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwelve months in the sealed pack at room temperature. It is live but dormant, so it needs no fridge and no attention until you are ready.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDo you ship outside the UK?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes — we post worldwide. UK orders placed before 2pm go out the same day on a free next-day service.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dough Dough at Home","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53401363743068,"sku":"DD-STARTER-ITALIAN00-15G","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0855\/5171\/0556\/files\/dough-dough-sourdough-starter-new-pack-15g_7d928ac0-c9be-449b-93ed-ee24b5b48926.jpg?v=1789198374","url":"https:\/\/doughdoughathome.com\/products\/italian-00-sourdough-starter","provider":"Dough Dough","version":"1.0","type":"link"}