Customer Reviews

★★★★★ Worth it!
Amazon Customer · Reviewed on Amazon, February 18, 2022 · Verified Purchase

I’ve always been intrigued with sourdough, and bought mine from a local bakery. While I enjoy supporting a local bakery, there are just some products they don’t make!

I’ve been contemplating trying to make sourdough for years now, yes - years! I was searching again for sourdough starters and this one intrigued me as it appeared to have a fairly decent success rate. What have I got to lose? $15? Not even, the return policy is fantastic!

I’m not going to say my first attempt at sourdough was easy, I don’t even think it was foolproof, but it was of reasonable difficulty. If you really want to make sourdough, I think you can with this starter!

Now this experience wasn’t without its frustrations. The first recommendation I have is IGNORE the instructions with the packet. Instead follow the link in the package and use those instructions. I’m not sure if the printed instructions are outdated, but they are incredibly confusing. I nearly failed my starter early on by trying to follow the initial instructions, luckily this seller provides amazing support and answered my questions promptly when I reached out.

If you are confused or something doesn’t seem right, reach out! If you give up all you guarantee is failure.

Once I started using the instructions on the website (the link in the booklet), things started progressing a lot better! This starter does forgive a bit, but it is a living culture so you have to be careful too!

My first attempt was the loaf of bread in the dutch oven, I followed the instructions to a tee. I would have liked to have seen a little more air bubbles in my finished product, but it was also one of the coldest days in my house of the year (so I think that had some impact)! The only other thing I noticed with the dutch oven was the crust came out MUCH darker! Maybe even a bit too dark for my tastes (and this was with double sheets of parchment under it). The finished product was still very edible and delicious and even better as toast. I ended up using King Arthur Organic bread flour and Kirkland purified water (you can get a big case for cheap at Costco).

I was so excited about my first loaf of bread, I wanted to make more! I did deviate quite a bit on the second attempt, instead of using the dutch oven I used my pizza steel. The instructions were quite insistent on not moving the dough once it has risen. I have not noticed a difference, but I will say move it very gently and only on parchment. Don’t try to take it off the parchment, don’t bang it down hard. Also as the instructions say, use flour or oil to avoid any plastic wrap from sticking to your dough.

I ended up making a loaf of rye bread and it was just as heavy as the initial sourdough (but it was also made with only 60% bread flour). I think I will have to tweak the recipe in the future. What I did like about baking on the pizza stone was that the crust didn’t come out quite as dark. The instructions strongly recommend to only cook in a dutch oven, it does solve problems, but it also creates some. The dutch oven is incredibly limited for shape, but it also holds in moisture a lot better.

My third project was pizza. For this dough I actually just ended up using the sourdough loaf recipe. When I took the dough out of the fridge in the morning, I divided it into four and rolled the dough out super thin on parchment paper. Yes, I know I was supposed to stretch it, but trust me if you like thin crust pizza you will not be able to stretch this dough by hand to your liking. I gambled on the fact my pizza might not rise at all due to all the rolling I had to complete, but I figured.. why not? After sitting 7 hours on my counter covered and the pizza oven was heated to 550 degrees, I topped the pizzas and used my pizza peel to transfer the pizza (on parchment paper) to my pizza steel. Surprisingly I did get quite a few air bubbles in my pizza! The bottom of the crust had these little tiny bubbles and was crispy and lovely. This pizza is AMAZING!!! I’ve made 72 hour pizza dough with yeast previously and the same bread flour, but there are some noticeable differences. The biggest different I will say, is how the sourdough handles moisture. I do like to use fresh mozzarella on my pizzas which adds a lot of water. A yeasted dough I find gets a little more soggy, the sourdough on the other hand loves the added humidity and does a lot better.

I can’t wait to continue experimenting with my sourdough culture. The two biggest things I struggle with is getting more rise/bubbles in my loaves and shaping them of course! I imagine with practice it will improve.

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★★★★★ Best $15 I’ve ever spent!
Leann · Reviewed on Amazon, March 10, 2021 · Verified Purchase

Let me start by saying I almost never leave reviews for products, mainly due to always being pressed for time (which is bad because I depend on reviews, but I digress). However, I am definitely making it a point to submit a review for this amazing starter, because everything about it has lived up to, (and actually far exceeded) my expectations. I grew up in Northern California and have loved San Francisco sourdough bread since I was a child. I always had hopes to be able to make it at home, but I had heard how complicated it can be, and I just didn’t think I’d be able to be successful. Well, I am here to tell you that with the package of magic flakes that arrived by mail, and Jerry’s amazingly responsive, personable, (and highly personalized) customer service, not only did my very first loaf turn out to be absolutely delectable (making me, as Jerry said, the “house hero” among my family), but also gave me the confidence to know that I will be able to continue making ever more delicious loaves of artisan bread with that genuine, and unmistakable, San Francisco sourdough flavor. The instructions included are helpful and very complete, but I had a few questions and was looking for reassurance early in the process. I reached out by email and was surprised when Jerry got back to me within minutes. His responses to my questions were rapid and respectful. Never did he make me feel bad, even when I asked questions he had clearly discussed in the information sent with the starter, or available via the provided link. He was kind and patient, and provided additional tips and information. I couldn’t have asked for more. Other reviewers who gave one star because the package was small, or because starter takes a few days to get to the point where it is ready to be used for bread kind of made me laugh. How can you give a product one star for being exactly what it is? It is starter! And you don’t need a big box of it...good things come in small packages, and the amount provided is perfect. Making genuine sourdough bread is a process. Anyone who researches the process knows you have to have patience. If someone wants quick sourdough, then it may just be best go to the grocery store or bakery. But if you’re looking to successfully make genuine San Francisco sourdough bread, and have active starter that enables you to keep making this delicious bread into infinity (I plan to save a lot of money not having to buy sourdough at the store at $5 per loaf), then this product will not only fulfill, but will far exceed your expectations, as it did for me. :-) The $15 was money VERY well-spent, considering the satisfaction and value received, and you will not be sorry!

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★★★★★ Good starter if you're new to the sourdough game
C. Morgan · Reviewed on Amazon, December 20, 2023 · Verified Purchase

First of all, ignore any bad review that obviously didn't read the directions or complains that this starter is deceptively time-consuming. If you're going to purchase a sourdough starter, do your homework: You're committing to the care and feeding of a microbiome, which takes time, and sourdough breadmaking is measured in days, not hours. If you aren't able to make that kind of time commitment, you're better off buying your sourdough bread from a good bakery.

This starter dates from 2017, so it's definitely not the oldest prepackaged "San Francisco sourdough" starter out there. It is, however, a very good, cost-effective starter with some solid support behind it.

As others have noted, the real directions for reactivating and using this starter are on the website, not with the package, so you'll want to download and follow them exactly. (Note to manufacturer: It would help if you just put the real directions in the package)

The starter in the pouch is dried and crushed--you will need to reactivate it with distilled water and flour. The type of flour you choose will have a big impact on the speed of reactivation as well as the taste of the bread; there are several books on sourdough that can explain the differences.

I reactivated mine with a mixture of rye and whole wheat flours, carefully discarding and replacing every day. By the fourth day, the culture was bubbling and rising to about twice its level. I kept feeding it for the next week, until it was routinely growing to about 3X its size, and a small pinch of starter easily floated on the surface of cold water.

I made my first loaves with it the next week, a three day process for maximum flavor and texture: You set the sponge and let it rise in the fridge overnight, then mix up and knead the dough, letting it rise again overnight in the fridge. On the third day, you form your loaves, let them rise, and bake.

The dough will be sticky, especially if you're using a "high hydration" recipe, so oil your hands. The starter itself is almost comically sticky (my partner jokes that it's a great substitute for Liquid Nails), but that's characteristic of most starters.

The bread (pictured) has a little tighter crumb than I prefer, but I expect to improve that as I work with it. It has a good flavor, although it lacks the San Francisco tang I love. Again, that tends to improve as the culture settles in and I figure out its favorite flours.

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★★★★☆ Great product
TB · Reviewed on Amazon, October 16, 2024 · Verified Purchase

I purchased this starter about a year ago. I did not activate it until a week ago. I followed the step by step instructions with some slight variations on the fermentation time. and was able to make my first loaf of bread. I am no stranger to baking and I also have experience in growing cultures so it wasn’t to hard to follow. The bread had the sour taste I was expecting. I am sure I will improve the quality with the many loaves to follow.

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★★★★★ A big success and so delicious, a true San Francisco sourdough loaf!
Carol Murphy · Reviewed on Amazon, October 13, 2020 · Verified Purchase

I am now on my third loaf of bread. I researched many starters and reviews before settling on this particular product. My main reasons for choosing this starter were the many successful reviews describing the taste and the outstanding customer support. I received my flakes and instructions timely, went through the pages several times and paid strict attention to the success notes at the end. I have to say I had a number of questions along the way and Jerry was extremely responsive and quick to reply (within 5 minutes) each time I sent him a text question. My first loaf was a big success, very tasty and exactly what I was looking for, that San Francisco sourdough taste! It was a little darker than I liked and was over the 200 degree mark at 55 minutes so I cooked my second loaf 10 minutes less and made sure to take it out at exactly 200 degrees using my thermometer and it was absolutely perfect! My husband said it was the best sourdough bread he has had, so this was a huge success since we both love sourdough bread and have purchased it almost everywhere we have traveled, including in San Francisco. I am very happy with my purchase, the result and most of all the outstanding support along the way. The instructions can be a little overwhelming at first read, but once you have been through the process of making your starter and baking the loaf, they seem pretty easy when starting your second loaf. Give it a try and stick with it, you won't be disappointed in the end! I posted some pictures of the end product since they say so much more!

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★★★★★ Great Product Support!
Deborah · Reviewed on Amazon, April 2, 2023 · Verified Purchase

I can't really attest to the "authentic San Francisco sourdough" taste because I've never had the real deal, but what I can say is that for the price of this starter, which is minimal, the support is phenomenal! I am an experienced sourdough baker and am blown away by the willingness and promptness of the support you receive with this product. I was confused about some of the instructions, because this method is very different than the one I am accustomed to, and my emails were answered in minutes. It was VERY obvious that the seller really cares about your success with sourdough bread making. It's not easy, and from my previous experience, I know that many people fail at making good sourdough bread, but the step by step instructions along with the hands on product support cannot be matched and make this purchase well worth it!

Update: It took me a while to make bread from this starter because I love my own so much, but then I did and WOW! Huge difference. This starter is like a cloud....very fluffy and produces amazing bread...light and crispy, not as tough and chewy as other artisan sourdough I've tried (including my own). HIGHLY recommended!

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★★★★★ This Sourdough has landed...EXACTLY what I remember
Wednesday · Reviewed on Amazon, March 15, 2021 · Verified Purchase

Not all sourdough is created equal. I've traveled across America and in the various places I've lived there has never been another sourdough like what I grew up with in San Francisco. Like most I didn't appreciate what I had until I left Baghdad by the Bay.

In a nutshell...buy this. Follow it's concise instructions and voila' "world class" bread from your own kitchen.

I changed things up a tad because of my preferences. I used a 50/50 UNBLEACHED whole wheat and AP flours. At first I felt the reconstitution instructions were extravagant but I remained faithful to the sellers process of 1:1. My first loaf didn't have an authentic second rise. That was NOT because of seller but because I chose to NOT shape the loaf prior to the second proof. As the photos demonstrate, when I did shape the loaf I did achieve a very positive and authentic second proof and baked out great.

I changed my rhythm for feeding Karl (named after the SF Fog Twitter account) and have gone with a 1:3 ratio. On non-baking days I scale back to 5g ripe starter, 5g whole wheat, 10g AP flour and 15g room temp filtered water. When I need to bake I feed Karl 25g ripe starter, 25g whole wheat, 50g AP flour and 75g filtered water. When the feeding frenzy peaks this gives me 100g active starter for a 500g loaf. I've adopted YouTube's Baker Bettie's sourdough baking schedules. I recommend watching her channel, perhaps even subscribing to her online classes. Working sourdough is different, rewarding but different.

I refrigerated the original starter just in case I goofed something up. Karl's retirement is smears of ripe starter on parchment paper drying as per King Arthur Flour recommendations "Putting Your Sourdough Starter on Hold". Just in case I pickup a stray infection or whatever I can roll back and zen Karl. I currently volunteer at our Arboretum and that means soil bacteria which could result upsetting Karl.

Karl has become a very positive affirmation against the bleary pandemic background...I can savor the sourdough of my lost (not entirely wasted) youth.

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★★★★★ Outstanding Customer Service and Support
Paco · Reviewed on Amazon, July 22, 2022 · Verified Purchase

A couple of years ago, i attempted to make my own sourdough bread, including starter. i was not very successful with my starter so i decided to purchase a starter online and chose San Francisco Sourdough Starter Culture over the many available starters. Why? because we love San Francisco Sourdough bread and this starter is from the original San Fran Sourdough and also because it's organic. In my infinite haste and desires to make homemade sourdough bread, I "read" the downloaded instructions, but did not pay too much attention. I did not follow all the steps and ended up with a starter that did not fully activate. I contacted customer support via email and Jerry responded within minutes. i was extremely surprised at his quick reply, especially since i sent the email after 6:30pm. I informed Jerry of what i had done and also sent some pics, he did confirm that the starter was not fully active and immediately offered to replace the starter. I was completely blown away by his kind gesture and offer. I declined his offer because it was not his fault, nor his company's fault for my "sleepy" starter. I was the one that did not follow the instructions correctly. btw, the instructions are quite simple "IF" you read them thoroughly and completely. the more times you read them, the better. Jerry provided a superb customer service and support, the good ole fashioned service that is an extreme rarity, especially in today's society. I am extremely thankful and grateful to Jerry for all he did and i look forward to a fresh start with my new starter kit. this time i will read all instructions thoroughly and send Jerry pics along the way. I highly recommend the San Francisco Sourdough Starter Culture to anyone interested in making their own sourdough bread. We are not alone in this new baking venture, Jerry and crew are available to answer and guide us through the process. Enjoy!!!

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★★★★★ High activity level and good taste
Santafekay · Reviewed on Amazon, November 12, 2023 · Verified Purchase

The item was shipped via USPS the same day I ordered it, and it arrived in only three days, ahead of the promised delivery.

It was easy to download the 11-page directions document using the QR code, and the directions will take even the beginning sourdough baker through the necessary steps to create a dynamic starter. I used freshly purchased King Arthur bread flour and spring water, I live at 7000 feet elevation, and my home temperature ranges from about 68 to 73 degrees F. I carefully followed the recommended feeding schedule from the directions, and by day two the starter was massively active. The photo is a result of using day 3 discard to make English muffins, and I can’t wait to make my first sourdough loaf. The taste is nutty and very slightly sweeter than the sourdough starter I used last winter, but the recipe included in the directions takes additional days proofing to develop the sour taste, so it should be very good after it ferments.

My only “complaint” is that I should have started with a larger container than the quart recommended in the directions.😊 By day three the starter was so active it began to overflow the container in under three hours, and I had to find a larger container. What a wonderful “problem” to have!

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★★★★★ Jerry is amazing
Snow White · Reviewed on Amazon, August 11, 2023 · Verified Purchase

I'm blown away with how fast Jerry responded to my questions. I live outside of America. It's always hot and humid. I missed sourdough so much, I was willing to try anything to get it back again. I read up on all the starters I could and this one kept coming back in my top 5. I both all five. I left this one for the last, since it was the one with the most steps. I followed every step to the letter. The photos helps a lot. My only suggestion to Jerry would be, put more photos in every step for us newbies. I wrote him, not expecting a response for days. However, I was so wrong! He responded in less than an hour. We wrote back and forth for about 2 hours and when I was done, He had researched where I lived, gave me some great advise and now I'm following his directions. Sure, this isn't the easiest bread to make. If it was, more people would have made it. But...if you follow his directions, I mean really follow them to the letter, something good will come out of it. If however, you get to the second step, which is where I ran into issues, write him.

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★★★★★ First timer
Teresa Headington · Reviewed on Amazon, December 27, 2024 · Verified Purchase

This was my first time making sourdough bread. The starter is great. I had it for over a year before I finally decided to try my hand at it. The instructions are very thorough and I followed them almost to the t. 1st pic is my first loaf, not so pretty and the bread was quite dense, it didn’t rise as much as it should. The 2nd photo was my 2nd loaf and the bread turned out better. The only reason my first loaf didn’t rise as much as it should was that it was my first attempt and I needed to practice, so the 2nd loaf I was able to do better on. I am a newcomer to this so I expect to get better. Both loaves tasted great. It’s a good starter and the instructions took some study but they are thorough, and written for someone who needs step by step. I definitely recommend this starter.

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★★★★★ Starter that Works and Great Support
Batlady · Reviewed on Amazon, May 14, 2020 · Verified Purchase

I had been trying to make my own sourdough starter for well over a month, but alas, I met with one failure after another (6 times!). Ultimately I decided to order a San Francisco sourdough starter from Amazon, and went with Hunsucker's Culinary and Lifestyle. Many of the reviews mentioned how helpful the support from Jerry was, and because of my previous failures, I was hopeful that I, too, would be able to take advantage of this support if needed. On day two of feeding the starter, I had questions and emailed Jerry. Five minutes later, he responded and asked for my phone number so he could talk to me. I immediately sent it, and a minute later her called! We spoke for about 20 minutes, and he was a wealth of information and encouragement. He asked me to send him pictures as I continued on this journey. Later that day, Jerry emailed me about 4 times with pictures of starter and dough at various stages and more info. Again - very helpful. Jerry recommended that I wait until the next day to feed my starter, which is what I did. And voila...my starter activated with bubbles galore after that feeding, and was now ready to proceed the following day. The directions Jerry encloses with the order are very precise, and as he emphasized with me, if you follow those directions exactly, you will be successful. He also explained to me that as you use the starter, the flavor will keep improving with each new loaf. My first loaf was surprisingly robust, and the flavor was very nice. I look forward to trying lots of sourdough recipes now that I have an active starter, and I thank Jerry for holding my hand throughout the process until I was successful.

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★★★★★ Great starter and fantastic support.
Clasina · Reviewed on Amazon, October 31, 2025 · Verified Purchase

Purchased this 2 years ago. Being making the most amazing pancakes using this starter. Wanted to try the bread recipe but lost the link to the recipes and even after all this time the owner of this business still helped me out without delay. Rare to find such excellent support.

Also, this is the only starter that has that comforting slightly sweet milky smell which I love.

Support this business if you can. Both the product and the support are top notch.

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★★★★★ Great flavor!
Chococat · Reviewed on Amazon, May 29, 2023 · Verified Purchase

Like many people, I decided to try my hand at making sourdough bread after experiencing the difficulty of finding yeast during COVID. I live in NorCal, and I love the tanginess of SF sourdough. This starter was easy to get working, but my bread was coming out dense when I followed the instructions. I tried a few times with the same results, and I became discouraged and left the starter in the back of the fridge for several months. I recently decided to give it another go and brought the starter back to life. (It did fine not being fed for probably six months.) I tried the overnight recipe from The Feathered Nester, and I’ve now made three successful loaves that taste more and more like sourdough the more I use the starter. It’s crusty on the outside and soft and airy on the inside. It’s even better the second day as the inside becomes less soft and chewier. I made fantastic fluffy pancakes for breakfast this morning with the discard. I’ve been using the Bob’s Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour. So happy that I didn’t give up on bread making!

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★★★★★ Great sourdough!!
Kevin J Storar · Reviewed on Amazon, June 12, 2022 · Verified Purchase

This product is great. I’ve purchased it twice. I’m on my third loaf on the most recent starter. This produces awesome tasting bread!! If you are an expert, buy it. If you are a beginner, buy it. If you are in between, buy it.

But. But. But. Before you even open the culture packet. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE PDF. And read it again. And possibly one more time. Then. When you are “ready” to go. Read the instructions two more times. I can’t stress enough how detailed it’s laid out for you. Time suggestions, liquid vs dry measure, not using tap water, etc etc. the reason I bought this twice was the first time I thought I was the smartest ever.

A child could follow the directions because it is that detailed.

If you have questions, send an email because YOU WILL get a response. Your email may have too much detail or require a phone call and they WILL call you. This company is passionate about their product and the process they CONTINUE to tweak. I am mad it took me this long to type a review but if I could give this product 100 stars out of five, it may very well be the ONLY baking product I’d offer that many stars that I have purchased on Amazon.

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★★★★★ Best Authentic San Francisco Sourdough Starter With Unmatched Customer Service.
J · Reviewed on Amazon, April 19, 2022 · Verified Purchase

I have been using this starter since February 2021. I have long been a fan of authentic San Francisco sourdough bread but had trouble finding an authentic starter. If you’re a fan then you’ll know by the flavor if you’ve hit sourdough “pay dirt”. This one is it, no need to look any further! Also, I saw someone write a review complaining about the time it takes to bake a loaf of bread using this recipe. Well, that complaint is laughable in its naïveté. If you are a true sourdough fan and want that authentic sour taste, then you will also know that it’s a process that absolutely cannot be rushed. The complaint had to have been from a baker unfamiliar with the necessary process, one that didn’t care about achieving the authentic sour taste, or both. Additionally, you will not find a more helpful seller than Jerry! I had some questions after using the recipe for over a year and Jerry responded to my email within minutes, just as he has with every question I have ever had since my initial purchase. If you want to be successful, achieve the classic sour taste and have a support system that is unmatched by anything I’ve ever seen then this is a purchase that you absolutely will never regret!

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★★★★★ Couldn't Be Happier!!!!
Simon Wray · Reviewed on Amazon, October 8, 2019 · Verified Purchase

Where to start.....well, prior to my purchase of the starter in February of this year (2019) I had never baked a loaf of bread let alone a sourdough loaf, but as a serious lover of the sour taste, I decided to jump in at the deep end. The instructions sent with the starter are comprehensive with each step clearly described, but as a total bread making newbie, I still needed a little additional help and reached out to Gerald Hunsucker who quickly responded. Over the following week and with a big dollop of exceptional customer service Gerry graciously "held my hand" as I rehydrating the starter flakes though all the steps to my very first bake. To be honest, I didn't expect much from that loaf, but was happily surprised when I bit into the first slice and my taste buds were rewarded with true sour deliciousness!! That was more than 7 months ago and I have now made a bunch of loafs. The taste and texture have never disappointed (except for one time that was completely my fault). The starter takes some effort to keep going, but the one time purchase has supplied me with my favorite bread for pennies compared to commercial sourdough, and if I do say myself......mine has a superior taste. It would be interesting to try another starter and compare flavors, but then again.....why mess with success.

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★★★★★ Highly active starter! The taste I have been looking for!
Reno Acosta · Reviewed on Amazon, March 11, 2024 · Verified Purchase

This starter is highly active! 18 hrs later is it bubbly and foamy. The people having issues with it are doing something wrong. I moved from California to the Midwest last year and can't seem to find sourdough like back home. This starter is what I've been looking for!

The recipe I used:

1-quart mason jar.

1/2 cup of bottled water (don't use tap)

Add the yeast to the water and let it sit for an hour.

Put the lid on and shake the jar to dissolve the yeast in the water.

Add 1 cup of 100% whole-grain wheat flour and mix.

Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix again.

With the lid loose, place the jar on a plant seedling heat mat and cover it with a clean black T-shirt to block out the light.

This will get you through day 1.

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★★★★★ Great service and product
Ski Bum · Reviewed on Amazon, December 5, 2020 · Verified Purchase

Our first order never arrived - even though USPS said it was delivered. They quickly sent a replacement package for us. The instructions for getting the starter going and making your first loaf look a bit daunting, but well written and easy to follow. For the starter it is really important to WAIT until it gets really bubbly and then pour off the hooch. For the final proofing I almost got too impatient - but was called away from it for 3 hours - when I returned it looked like a bubbly mass, Then after another couple of hours, the layer of hooch had appeared. and the starter had quieted down. Making the first loaf of bread is real exercise if you try to do it by hand mixing - especially for the last half of the third cup of flour. Not much left of the first loaf - time to make more. Almost as good as Boudin's picked up at SFO on the way home from may business trips to San Francisco - but then they are most likely better bakers than I am. Jerry Hunsucker is very helpful if you have questions.

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★★★★★ Excellent starter that explodes within a few days
Lodgepole · Reviewed on Amazon, September 26, 2021 · Verified Purchase

I grew up in California and we always had several loaves of the San Francsico brand sourdough bread in the kitchen so a couple years ago I decided to try making my own. I experimented making starter from scratch and also tried a couple of the local bakeries starters. Overall I’ve had pretty good results from all of them and realized the ingredients, process and especially timing is the key to great sourdough bread. When I saw this one on Amazon I had to try it out. Overall it’s an outstanding starter although I do like a really sourdough taste which this one was more mild but I’m sure will get more sour as it ages along with some tweaking to the proofing process. The spring and cohesiveness was amazing in the starter after only 3-4 days. I mix it with some of my extra sour starter and use a Dutch oven and it’s a perfect combo of spring, flavor, crumb, chewyness and hard crust. I feel like it’s a great value since you can use it indefinitely.

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★★★★☆ Good stuff
William Hoeman · Reviewed on Amazon, August 18, 2021 · Verified Purchase

First, the package you receive will probably be smaller than you expect. That's ok, I'm just saying...

The directions and related recipes come via a QR code on the paper insert. It is a lengthy printout, and as far as I can tell (novice baker), this is a rather time-consuming process. Keeping starter culture alive requires constant work, so be ready to either feed the culture regularly and discard some, or find a lot of friends who want to start baking. Having some decent equipment helps too. A reliable mixer with a dough hook should be required,

As far as taste, I won't say it's the best or the most authentic. Within the Bay itself there are variations. It is more tart than my go-to from Franco-American Bakery in Santa Rosa. But I guess a little variation doesn't hurt.

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★★★★★ This is the REAL DEAL
karen oosthuizen · Reviewed on Amazon, September 13, 2021 · Verified Purchase

Being a California native, I was raised on San Francisco Sour Dough bread and I know what it's

supposed to taste like. I have tried all kinds of starters over the years and never got the actual sourdough taste from any of them until I tried this starter. I will say it's quite a lengthy process to get the starter going but if you follow Jerry's instructions carefully, success will be yours. The BEST part of this starter, besides the authentic sourdough taste, is the CUSTOMER SERVICE I received. Before I started the entire process I phoned Jerry with my questions and he answered immediately. He even told me to call every day if I needed guidance. He answered all my questions and also offered additional hints to the sourdough process. The bread was a killer success and I will be keeping this starter for years. You too can now make San Francisco sourdough bread a staple in your home. It's the REAL DEAL!!

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★★★★★ healthy yeasties
Time matters · Reviewed on Amazon, April 13, 2020 · Verified Purchase

Received a small foil packet of dried bread dough. I followed the directions for rehydrating it to starter, but also added just a pinch of sugar to get the yeast started. Yeast bubbles formed well and was just a 1/8 of hooch after 12 hours. The direction said 12-24 hours for the first grow, so I just stirred the hootch back in to the starter, and the next morning had a lot of very healthy looking yeast, with no hootch at all. It looked so healthy I decided to try making bread with the stuff I was supposed to throw out, and it made an excellent bread after just that first 24 hour starter growth. I did need to read up on how do make bread with a soft, high water content dough, as the dough was way softer than any regular bread I ever made. Glad I saw some YouTube videos on it, or I would have never been able to make that dough. Very soft, and bread came out more like a ciabatta, flat, but scrumptious.

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★★★★★ Incredible value and especially in the time of COVID-19
Gwen · Reviewed on Amazon, April 22, 2020 · Verified Purchase

I was always interested in baking sourdough bread, but once it became impossible to find yeast during the pandemic I thought I ought to try buying a sourdough starter. I could not be happier with the seller, the product or the bread I am baking. The recipe and instructions were easy to follow (although the pages initially look more complicated than they are) and my first loaf, while not sour per se, was soft and delicious with a beautiful crust. I’ve now made 3 batches, and the third batch has a lovely sourdough flavor to go with the perfect crumb and crust. I use the Dutch oven method and I divide the original recipe (4:4:4 ratio) into two loaves which fit my two Dutch ovens. This produces two normal boules like you would buy in a store. I cannot recommend this product more strongly if you want to bake bread without commercial yeast, just know that your first couple batches might not taste very sour (but should still be very delicious bread nonetheless). Don’t give up, it will develop over time.

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★★★★★ This is the best!
Kindle Customer · Reviewed on Amazon, October 9, 2020 · Verified Purchase

I bought this starter 3 or 4 years ago, and it's going strong, even after what other sourdough users would consider war-crime level abuse. The flavor is authentically San Francisco; I grew up in San Francisco, and I know. In fact, the flavor has continued to improve with time and abuse. This culture is exceptionally robust. Recently I left it in the refrigerator four months without feeding. Fearing the worst, I nevertheless took it out and fed it. After 8 hours, no sign of life. The next morning it had expanded about 50%. A miracle! I gave it another feeding, and in about 6 hours it had more than doubled in volume. You can't go wrong. Robust culture, great flavor. For beginners, you can be confident that you simply cannot kill this stuff, unless you do something like nuke it. For experienced users, this is the real sourdough flavor and aroma. This is the real deal.

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★★★★★ Great Sourdough that lives up to the promise!
J. S. · Reviewed on Amazon, July 9, 2020 · Verified Purchase

I researched the various sourdough starter options on Amazon and bought this one in order to get the true San Francisco strain. There was a glitch with the USPS delivery, however, Jerry reached out to me and sent a 2nd shipment to get the starter to me - excellent customer service!

As promised, if you follow the directions exactly this starter will take off. I am including pictures because they say much more than I could put in words. I got activity from the first batch, but as you can see - it went from a few bubbles to frothy production within a couple batches and I cooked this sourdough loaf within a few days.

Now I want to follow the instructions to increase the sourness of the future loaves.

I’m very pleased with the purchase and think you will be, too! Thank you, again, for your excellent product and customer service, Jerry!

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★★★★★ Excellent starter and support
Dimar · Reviewed on Amazon, January 15, 2021 · Verified Purchase

I've made several loaves and every one was delicious. Developing the initial starter took a bit of time but the instructions were spot on. I find the flavor and density of my bread, using KAF, to be perfect. I recently discovered my electric oven was broken. I had my overnight dough still in the fridge and emailed Jerry for advice on how long I could hold it there before baking. He responded quickly which was very much appreciated. When I found my oven repair would take days, not hours, I almost gave up but decided to try using outdoor BBQ. It worked out great! One thing I found was that having to extend the refrigeration to 20+ hours seems to create a stronger sour flavor and I'll be tryng this again once I have an oven back. Having Jerry help when you encounter a question or problem is invaluable to first time sourdough bakers.

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★★★★★ Delicious bread and fantastic phone and email support!
LuvsDogsSheepAndWine · Reviewed on Amazon, May 17, 2020 · Verified Purchase

I just made my first loaf of bread today using this starter, and I'm thrilled with how it turned out. It has the same wonderful taste, texture and crust of sourdough that I've eaten in San Francisco, and I am excited that I can now make it myself.

Not only am I happy with the starter, but I also appreciate the seller's fast, helpful phone and email support. The evening before I planned to start my sourdough starter, I emailed him with a question about how hot weather would affect the process he outlined in his instructions. He called me the next morning and gave me several pointers for starting/using the starter in a hot climate, and he emailed a few days later to see how the process was going.

It's rare and refreshing to get that type of personalized service. The attention to customer support, and the quality of the starter itself, make this five stars for me.

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