What is sourdough bread?
Sourdough bread is leavened using a live starter instead of commercially produced bakers’ yeast. The starter – which, in its most basic form, is a mix of flour and water left to ferment naturally – contains wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria that break down the starches in the bread dough during fermentation (proving). This produces the carbon dioxide and lactic and acetic acids that leaven the dough and give sourdough its characteristic tangy flavour and open texture.
Is sourdough better for you than ‘normal’ bread? Hell yes…
Sourdough is a method, not a category. Breads made using the sourdough method have different nutritional profiles, depending on the type of flour used: a loaf can only be as wholesome as the flour that goes into it. However, research suggests that the slow fermentation process involved in authentic sourdough breadmaking makes the beneficial minerals present in flour more available to the body.
Studies have also backed up anecdotal evidence that the sourdough method produces bread that is more digestible: research has found that it reduces the protein fragments that can trigger wheat intolerance, and indeed some people who find fast-baked mass-produced bread hard to stomach report that they can enjoy sourdough bread with no ill effects. For more detail about individual studies into sourdough, please click here: Real Bread Campaign
Are you an organic bakery?
Neither our bakery nor our bread are certified organic. However, we strive to use only natural ingredients grown and processed using traditional methods without chemical additives, fertilisers or pesticides. This is because we do not want to make or sell bread that contains pesticide residues or cocktails of pesticide residues.
Analysis by the Pesticide Action Network UK of Government tests carried out in 2021 found that half of the bread sold in the UK contained at least two different pesticides, and that five of the 11 different pesticides found across all samples were linked to cancer.
We use certified organic ingredients where possible, because we believe that organic produce is better for the planet and better for our bodies. Our organic ingredients include organic flour from Matthews Cotswold Flour and Gilchesters Organics and beautiful butter (in our pastries) from Isigny Ste Mère in Normandy.
What is the difference between wholemeal and wholegrain?
A grain is made up of three layers: the outer bran layer, the germ, and the starchy energy-rich endosperm at the centre. The bran and the germ contain most of the vitamins and minerals present in the grain, as well as insoluble dietary fibre, protein and beneficial fats. White flour is the result of a milling process that removes the bran and germ, leaving only the fine, powdery endosperm. Wholemeal flour is milled from the whole grain, with nothing taken out. Wholegrain (in the UK) is a term used to describe breads that contain whole grains, which may include seeds. Wholegrain breads can be made using white and/or wholemeal flour. Brown flour contains varying amounts of bran and/or wheatgerm. It is usually produced by adding the desired amount of bran and/or germ back in to the milled white flour.
Why do you use stoneground flour?
Not all wholemeal flours are created equal! Most flour is milled through steel rollers, a high-speed, high-temperature process that can destroy many of the beneficial vitamins and minerals in the grain. Stone milling, in which grains are crushed between millstones, is a much gentler on the grain and produces flour that retains all the flavour and goodness present in the grain. Stoneground flour can be white or wholemeal or anything in between – depending on how much of the bran and germ is sieved out and/or put back in. But even white stoneground flour contains more of the grain’s original character and flavour than its roller-milled equivalent.
What are ancient grains?
Modern wheat is the result of thousands of years of selective breeding. ‘Ancient grain’ is one of the terms used to describe a cereal that has not been commercially bred to the same degree and therefore remains genetically similar to a plant that humans have cultivated for millennia. Thanks to innovative farmers and millers who are championing the modern cultivation of these ‘ancient’ cereals, artisan bakers like us now have access to a growing variety of ‘ancient-grain’ flours.
They include Einkorn, Emmer, Spelt and Durum, which are all varieties of wheat (members of the genus Triticum) and precursors of modern wheat. Einkorn is the oldest of these ancient wheat varieties, with a 10,000-year history.
Rye and barley are closely related to wheat – all are members of the grass family (Poeceae). They are also known as ancient grains because they have been cultivated for millennia and have not been commercially bred to the same degree as wheat.
Modern wheat has been bred primarily for high yield – at the expense of flavour, nutrient density and crop diversity. As bakers, we are really excited about the renaissance of ancient grains such as Einkorn, Emmer, spelt and rye. They give us a rich diversity of flavours, properties and nutrient profiles to play with, inspiring us to create tasty, nourishing breads and support a more regenerative approach to agriculture.
Do you sell gluten-free breads?
No. We are a small, traditional bakery and we do not have the space to build the separate gluten-free kitchen that would be required to produce bread that can be legally labelled gluten-free.
Are your breads suitable for vegan and vegetarian diets?
Most of our breads are suitable for vegan and vegetarian diets. The exceptions are: Cheese & Chilli sourdough (contains cheese); Cheese & Marmite sourdough (contains cheese); Cheese & Garlic focaccia (contains cheese); Saffron Bun (contains eggs, butter and buttermilk); Croissant (contains butter); Pain au Chocolate (contains butter).
Are your breads low G.I.?
Studies suggest that white and wholemeal sourdough fermented breads have a lower Glycaemic Index (G.I) than their equivalent yeast-leavened breads, which means they cause blood sugar levels to rise more slowly when eaten.
