What is Sourdough?

Sourdough bread is bread leavened with lactobacillus culture instead of processed yeast, or a combination of the two. It is one of the earliest methods of leavening (rising) bread, and is created by making what is known as a sourdough culture or ‘starter’. The starter is made by mixing flour and water (and sometimes other things containing enzymes) over a process of around 11 days to activate the naturally occurring bacteria and yeasts. The sour flavour of the bread comes from the lactic acid produced by the good bacteria, and once you have your starter the process of making the bread takes from 1 to 3 days. Most larger bakeries producing sourdough use yeast, then add some of the starter so that you still get the sour flavour but don’t have to wait as long to bake. Some traditional bakeries use starters that are over a hundred years old, mine is 4 years young.