Well, it’s a case of the answer is in the question.
A sourdough starter kick-starts the baking process – it’s where the magic of sourdough begins.
This bubbling ecosystem of wild yeasts is a living, breathing organism created with flour and water – and in our case, biodynamic grapes. Providing flavour, structure and texture to your loaf, it is an essential part of a true artisan sourdough.
Just like your garden in summer, a starter requires daily care. To look after your starter properly, you must feed it with approximately equal parts flour and water, doubling the size of the starter each time your feed it. Looked after correctly, a starter can last a lifetime.
Our all-natural starter has been the beating heart of thousands of loaves of sourdough for over twenty years. Just like passing down a much-loved recipe through a family, our sourdough starter has been treasured, nurtured and skilfully administered by our artisan bakers over many years. It is the starter that gives our sourdough its award-winning taste, crumb structure and crust. And the best news? Just like a fine wine, it will only improve with age.
So, how does it work?
Well to start with, we mix the starter with flour (which we trace back to the source, learn more about that here), spring water, Murray River salt and malt. This process is also known as kneading and it works to distribute the ingredients evenly, kick-starting fermentation.
Fermentation is a magical process. Even the most humble home baker would struggle not to beam with pride as their dough swells and doubles in size. It’s at this time that the gluten is developed – essential to the structure of the bread.
Next, we prove our loaves long and slow, allowing the dough to sit in a warm, humid environment for many hours. Three days, in fact! Taking the time to allow the dough to prove has a great impact on the quality of the loaf.
By this point in the process, the starter has done its job. Then it’s on to hand-moulding, slashing and baking before the loaves are ready to be enjoyed by our hungry customers.
Keen to try your hand at baking sourdough of your own? Why not join us at one of our Breaducation classes.
