Sourdough Starter + Bread Sling

Two Essentials, One Bundle — Start Baking and Do It Safely If you're new to sourdough or gifting to someone who is, this bundle covers the two things every beginner needs first: an active starter to begin fermenting with, and a silicone bread sling to get the dough in and out of the Dutch oven without burns or broken loaves. Simple. Practical. Everything you need to bake your first real loaf. What's Included Dehydrated Sourdough Starter (5g) Sourced from a mature, thriving culture packed with wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. Rehydrates in 2–4 days. Includes rehydration instructions. Free shipping already factored in. Silicone Bread Sling — Boule (9-inch round) Food-grade silicone, heat-rated to 450°F. Replaces parchment paper for Dutch oven baking. Nonstick surface releases dough cleanly. Handles make loading and lifting safe. Reusable and dishwasher-safe. Why These Two Together? Beginner sourdough bakers most commonly struggle with two moments: getting the starter going, and transferring the dough into a screaming-hot Dutch oven without disaster. This bundle solves both at once — you get an established culture to skip the 7–14 day from-scratch process, and the safest possible tool for the most stressful part of the bake. The Problem The Solution in This Bundle Building a starter from scratch takes 7–14 days and often fails for beginners Dehydrated starter activates in 2–4 days from a mature, reliable culture Transferring dough into a 450°F Dutch oven is awkward and risky with parchment paper Silicone bread sling handles make loading and lifting clean and safe every time Buying each piece separately costs more Bundled together at a better value How to Use This Bundle Days 1–4: Rehydrate your sourdough starter following the included instructions. Feed daily and watch it come alive. Day 5: When your starter passes the float test (doubles within 4–8 hours of feeding and floats in water), it's ready to bake. Bake day: Mix your dough, bulk ferment, shape, cold proof overnight in the fridge. Load and bake: Flip your cold dough onto the silicone sling, score with a lame or scissors, and lower it directly into your preheated Dutch oven using the sling handles. Lift out: After baking, use the sling handles to lift the finished loaf onto a wire rack. No tongs, no burns, no drama. Frequently Asked Questions Does this bundle include a recipe? Yes — the dehydrated sourdough starter comes with a free recipe PDF emailed to you after purchase, plus rehydration instructions. Do I need any other tools to bake my first loaf? For a complete first bake, you'll also want a kitchen scale, banneton proofing basket, bread lame or scissors for scoring, and a Dutch oven. Check our Sourdough Baking Kit ($65) if you want everything in one bundle. What's the difference between this bundle and the full Sourdough Baking Kit? This bundle covers just the starter and sling — ideal if you already own most of the tools and just need to fill those two gaps. The $65 Sourdough Baking Kit includes 7 tools (banneton, lame, scale, bread whisk, bench scrapers, starter jar) plus the starter and recipe — it's the right choice if you're starting from nothing. Can the sling be used for oval/batard loaves? The included sling is the round 9-inch version for boule loaves. For oval batard loaves, our Silicone Bread Sling for Batards is available separately. Is this a good gift? Yes — especially for someone who's been curious about sourdough but hasn't started. It gives them the two most common hurdles solved in one box, and the low barrier makes it a thoughtful, actionable gift rather than just another kitchen gadget they might not use. Ready to Go Further? Bamboo Digital Food Scale — the next most important tool; sourdough accuracy depends on weight, not volume Gold Scissors or UFO Bread Lame — for scoring your loaf before it goes in the oven Sourdough Bowl Cover — replaces plastic wrap for covering dough during bulk fermentation