Four different drying methods, natural air drying, blast drying, vacuum drying and vacuum freeze drying, were adopted to dry the sourdough samples. The effects of the drying methods on the qualities of sourdough were estimated according to the fermenting power, the physicochemical indexes and sensory evaluation of steamed bread fermented by the dried sourdough. The results showed that air blast drying was the most appropriate method, for its highest efficiency, easily controlled conditions, lower costs and better product qualities.