Congratulations on beginning your journey with Swiss Mistress™ — an authentic, mountain-bred sourdough culture nurtured with patience, purity, and a little alpine attitude.

Your starter has traveled far, and she will be hungry.
Feed her as soon as she arrives to help her wake, stretch, and reclaim her strength.

Avoid:

• Distilled
• Reverse osmosis
• Ozonated
• Alkaline water 

These types can starve or kill yeast. Use natural spring water whenever possible.
It’s cheap, reliable, and yeast-friendly.

Avoid:

• Bleached flour
• Enriched flour
   

They contain additives that weaken or kill wild yeast.

Best options:

• King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour OR
• King Arthur Bread Flour
   

If using cups/tablespoons, you may need to adjust a little.

You are aiming for:

• Thick, smooth, and spreadable 
• Like smooth peanut butter 
• No dry spots
   

• 1 quart (32 oz) glass jar with lid
• Unbleached flour
• Natural spring water
• Spoon, patience, maybe wine
   

1. Place starter into a 32 oz jar.
2. Add 3 tablespoons lukewarm spring water and stir
3. Add ½ cup unbleached flour (AP is fine).
   • Optional: ¼ cup AP + 2 tablespoons whole wheat

1. Mix until thick and smooth.
2. Add a little extra flour or water if needed to get peanut-butter texture.
3. Cover loosely (not airtight).
4. Let sit at room temperature.

She should double or triple in 1–3 days.
Travel makes her sluggish — don’t panic.

Visual signs of life:

• Bubbles
• Risen & fallen streaks
• Clear liquid on top (hunger, not failure)
   

If she gets hungry before doubling, move to the second feeding early.

When she’s doubled OR liquid appears:

1. Keep 2 tablespoons starter, discard the rest.
2. Add ¼ cup lukewarm water and stir.
3. Add ½ cup unbleached flour
   • Optional: ¼ cup AP + 2 tablespoons whole wheat 
   • Mix until smooth.

1. Cover loosely and rest.
    

This time, she should double in 6–12 hours depending on temperature.

Once she’s reliably doubling:

Feed daily:

1. Keep 3 tablespoons starter
2. Add ¾ cup flour
3. Add ½ cup water
4. Mix smooth
5. Let rise fully before feeding again 

Only feed after she has doubled in size. This builds strength, flavor, and structure.

Do this for about one week before baking.

After a week of daily feedings:

To store in the fridge:

1. Feed as normal 
2. Let her double at room temp 
3. Place in fridge
    

Once refrigerated, feed once per week:

Weekly routine:

1. Keep 3 tablespoons starter
2. Add ¾ cup flour + ½ cup water
3. Let rise at room temp
4. Return to fridge

Always clean the jar to keep her healthy.

• Bake more than once a week?
  Keep her on the counter and feed daily. 
• Bake once a week or less?
  Store in fridge and feed weekly.
   

Your starter is alive, ancient, and wildly capable. With attention, consistency, and good ingredients, she will reward you with:

• Higher rise
• Deeper flavor
• Luxurious crumb
• And breads worthy of an alpine bakehouse

Treat her well — and she’ll feed you well.

Congratulations on beginning your journey with Swiss Mistress™ — an authentic, mountain-bred sourdough culture preserved in a dormant state, waiting to be revived with patience, purity, and a little alpine attitude.

Your dried starter is asleep.
 

Rehydration is her wake-up call.

Avoid:

• Distilled 
• Reverse osmosis
• Ozonated
• Alkaline water
   

These starve yeast.

Use natural spring water — it keeps the culture happy, stable, and active.

Avoid:

• Bleached flour 
• Enriched flour

Best options:

• King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour OR
• King Arthur Bread Flour
   

When using cups/tablespoons, adjust slightly if needed.

Goal:

• Thick, smooth, spreadable
• Like smooth peanut butter
• No dry patches
   

• 1 quart (32 oz) glass jar with lid 
• Unbleached flour
• Natural spring water
• Spoon
• Patience (non-negotiable)
   

1. Add the dried starter to a clean 32 oz jar.
2. Add ¼ cup lukewarm spring water.
3. Stir gently until dissolved or mostly soft.
4. Add ½ cup unbleached flour. 
   • Optional: ¼ cup AP + 2 tablespoons whole wheat 

1. Mix until thick and smooth.
2. Cover loosely (not airtight).
3. Let rest at room temp.

She may take 24–72 hours to show activity.

She’s been asleep — let her wake up slowly.

Signs of life:

• Bubbles
• Expansion
• Clear liquid on top (hunger, not failure)
• Stretchy texture
   

If she’s hungry before doubling, feed early.

When the starter is showing activity (rising, bubbling, or hungry):

1. Keep 2 tablespoons starter, discard the rest.
2. Add ¼ cup lukewarm water and stir.
3. Add ½ cup unbleached flour.
4. Mix until smooth and thick.
5. Cover loosely and rest.
    

This feeding establishes strength.
She should double within 12–24 hours.

Once doubling reliably:

Feed daily:

1. Keep 3 tablespoons starter
2. Add ¾ cup flour
3. Add ½ cup water
4. Mix smooth 
5. Let rise fully before feeding again
    

Only feed after she doubles.
This is the most important rule.

Continue daily for about one week before baking.

After one week of daily care:

To store in the fridge:

1. Feed as normal
2. Let her double
3. Move to refrigerator 

Weekly maintenance:

1. Keep 3 tablespoons starter
2. Add ¾ cup flour + ½ cup water
3. Let rise at room temp
4. Return to fridge
    

Clean the jar with each refresh.

• Bake more than once a week?
  Keep her on the counter and feed daily.
• Bake once a week or less?
  Store in fridge and feed weekly.
   

If she seems slow at first (very normal):

• Use a little whole wheat flour (1–2 tbsp)
• Keep her in a warmer spot (75–80°F) 
• Be patient — dried cultures take time to reawaken
   

Your starter is alive, old-soul, and fiercely independent.

She responds to:

• Good flour
• Clean water
• Consistency
• And a bit of love
   

In return, she will give you:

• Strong rise
• Tangy, complex flavor
• Open, luxurious crumb
• And breads worthy of an alpine bakehouse
   

Treat her well — and she’ll make magic.