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Baking authentic sourdough
Sourdough September is run by The Real Bread Campaign to celebrate authentic sourdough, encourage amateur bakers to make it at home and help avoid expensive imitations (or ‘sourfaux’) with events, classes and participating bakeries across the country.
Believed to date back to ancient Egypt, sourdough is made using a mixture of water, cereal flour and a culture of naturally occurring yeasts and lactic acid bacteria. It is known for its depth of flavour, longevity and potential health benefits. To make sourdough, a ‘starter’ is needed – a mixture of flour, water and wild yeast – to make the bread rise. This can be bought ready-made from an expert source, such as Hobbs House Bakery in Gloucestershire, or made by hand at home over two days.
As timing and temperature are key when baking sourdough, keep both a
