We sell sourdough starters that are made fresh monthly, this gives you very fast activation and great success. ZOURDOUGH SOURDOUGH STARTER Bella is from a bakery on the WHARF in SAN FRANCISCO. ..... This one has to be over 100 years old and is very active with a great sourness to her. We reproduce her in San Francisco and store her (in wet form) there, after drying we move her to the mountains, where I live.WHY?...well, in trying to keep this one completely authentic, I figured we should keep it in the area where the yeasties were born. YOU WILL GET: BELLA!!!! MAILED TO YOU. WITH DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO BRING IT BACK TO LIFE. YOU WILL GET: files of recipes on how to make awesome bread, pizza dough, pancakes, pretzels and the list goes on.. I MIGHT EVEN INFORM YOU HOW TO MAKE BROWN AND SERVE BREAD. BELLA IS A FAST STARTING STARTER. Activating your sourdough starter ? Mix 1/2 cup all purpose flour, ? 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm pure water, ? 1 TABLESPOON OF SUGAR (THIS TIME ONLY) ? package of starter powder in a bowl. ? Cover bowl with CLING WRAP, this helps to keep the starter from drying out and forming a crust on top, and put on the counter or in a warm place. ? On the second day just stir it up. ? On the third day add an additional 1/2 cup all purpose flour and 1/2 cup of lukewarm water, stirring to mix. ? By 48 hours you should see bubbles and signs of life. ? On the fourth day add 1/2 cup lukewarm water and 1/2 cup all purpose flour. (seems to be a pattern here) ? Feeding your starter daily for about 5 days will help it reach full activity and flavor. ? At day five you may continue to keep your starter at room temperature feeding it daily or put it in the refrigerator and feed it at least once weekly. ? The secret to successful sourdough baking is FRESHLY FED STARTER ! Our item is vacuum sealed and has an expiration date of 12/30/2035