We were delighted to be back at TEDxSydney this year, spreading the passion we have for our artisan sourdough at the Sydney Opera House.

Social Food

This year we were all about social food – food that brings people together. At Brasserie Bread we want to build connectivity and community over food. Building relationships with our farmers who produce our wheat grain has been fundamental for us. This sense of togetherness and connection is exactly what TEDxSydney was trying to showcase with inclusion of the Country Women’s Association, an association devoted to providing support and opportunities to those in rural communities.

Single Origin

The Brasserie Bread team was celebrating the source with two distinctive sourdough loaves made with wheat from two different regions in Australia. We use wheat grain from a select number of farmers in a specific region, so that our Single Origin range of sourdoughs allow 100 per cent traceability back to the Australian farms. As part of our activation stand at TEDx we showcased two wheat varieties.

Our sourdough made from Katana wheat grain is sourced from the Southern Flinders Ranges in South Australia. A year ago this was our only Single Origin sourdough, but we’re now proud to say that our entire bread range is made with single origin wheat. We also source wheat from Simon Doolin who grows Lancer wheat in the Gwydir Shire, New South Wales. It was especially exciting to allow TEDx goers to try the two varieties and compare the differences.

Tasting Experience

In order to truly showcase the impact that the grain variety and region has on sourdough, TEDxers were able to taste both varieties and share their observations. They gave us their thoughts on crust, crumb colour, flavours, and texture – they were then entered to win a baking class at Brasserie Bread worth $170. People were surprised to see how different the two types of sourdough tasted when only the wheat grain was changed.

Morning & Afternoon Tea

In addition to our Single Origin sourdough, Brasserie Bread baked some specialty items for the day. In support of the event we produced scones using a CWA recipe and Pepe Saya buttermilk. These scones were spread across various stalls across the Opera House, but also the Brasserie Bread and Pepe Saya activation stands.

In the morning break, the scones at our stand were served with Pepe Saya mascarpone and an assortment of Hands Lane jams. Afternoon tea saw another Brasserie Bread treat with a carrot cake dolloped with Pepe Saya crème fraiche. Our Breaducation manager Matt baked a unique carrot cake using Einkorn, one of the earliest cultivated forms of wheat. Translated from German, Einkorn means ‘single grain’.

Shaping the Future

We want to change how people perceive bread, nutrition, and the environment. For us it’s all about health, taste, education, connection, and community. It’s impossible to separate how we choose our bread from how we treat our soil and how we farm our grain.

Like many other countries, Australia has reduced wheat from a very nutritious and flavoursome product into something that’s lacking life. We need to get that nutrition and flavour back. Our mission is to get bread eaters, millers and farmers to join us in this cause.