Sourdough

This bread is traditionally made with a fermented starter as leavener, rather than a manufactured yeast. It was made like this, thousands of years before yeast was available in convenient packets. The starter can be a paste of flour and water, which is left to ferment for several days, allowing it to absorb the naturally occurring yeasts from the air, or it can be a ferment of potato or fruit. The fermentation process produces the distinctive sour taste that is characteristic of these breads. The starter is then mixed with more liquid and flour and left to ‘sponge’. It is traditional to save a quarter of the starter dough to mix in with the next batch. In France, some starter doughs have been kept alive for more than a hundred years, passed down through the generations. As the starter ages, it picks up the yeasts and develops its own characteristics and flavours. Today, for convenience, it is often made using a yeast starter.