Depending on what the starter really consists of you should be able to use it to make your own. As starter is a microbiological culture of yeasts and lactobacillus the starter you bought should probably be about the same.

 Try it! Be sure to post the ingridients list though!

So I can just use this like a "borrowed" starter?

If so, what would be the best way to feed it?  Does it need a labor intensive feed for a week or so, or is it pretty much at the point where I can get it going in a day or two and then do the fridge thing?

THANK YOU!!!

The instructions on the envelope tell you how to activate the starter. From that point, rather than making bread, feed it and treat it like a "wild" starter you developed yourself. I don't think it needs to be treated any differently.

David

Well I treated it like a starter (water and flour and starter, let it grow, discard and feed, etc)!  And made some very good bread!  FINALLY got the sour taste I was looking for (wihtout faking it with citric acid and buttermilk powder! lol).

Now I have to see if I can replicate the experiment since I put the starter in the fridge.  We will see if I can bring it back to life and bake it and have it taste good.

I am pretty tickled about it though.  Good thing because that little packet is EXPENSIVE.  But that does lead to a concern....since I bought the packet, does that mean that I should never share starter?  I do not want to be "robbing" KA by growing the packet into a starter and sharing it at some point down the road if someone wants some.  On the other hand, the packet was not actually intended to be used as a starter per se, as the instructions say to add 1/8tsp to dough (it seems to be more for a flavoring than an actual starter).

This is like a recipe....I never know what the etiquette is about sharing recipes...