Why Sourdough?
Sourdough is having a moment — and for good reason. Unlike commercial yeast breads, sourdough is made with a live culture of wild yeast and bacteria that gives your loaf its signature tangy flavour, chewy crumb, and crispy crust. Once you have an active starter, you can bake beautiful artisan bread at home for years to come.
What Is a Sourdough Starter?
A sourdough starter is a fermented mixture of flour and water that contains wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. It's what makes your bread rise naturally — no commercial yeast needed. Think of it as a living ingredient you feed and care for.
At Braeside Bakery, our starters are already active and ready to bake with, so you can skip the weeks-long process of building one from scratch.
What You'll Need to Get Started
- A live sourdough starter (we've got you covered)
- Bread flour or plain flour
- Filtered or room-temperature water
- A clean glass jar
- A kitchen scale
- A banneton or bowl lined with a floured cloth
- A Dutch oven or heavy-lidded pot
Step 1: Feed Your Starter
When your starter arrives, give it a feed before you bake. Discard half, then add equal parts flour and water by weight (e.g. 50g flour + 50g water). Stir well, cover loosely, and leave at room temperature for 4–8 hours until it's bubbly and has doubled in size.
Step 2: Make Your Dough
Once your starter is active and bubbly, you're ready to mix your dough. A simple beginner recipe:
- 450g bread flour
- 325g water
- 9g salt
- 90g active sourdough starter
Mix until no dry flour remains, then rest for 30 minutes. Perform 4 sets of stretch-and-folds over 2 hours, then leave to bulk ferment at room temperature for 4–6 hours.
Step 3: Shape and Proof
Shape your dough into a round or oval loaf and place it seam-side up in a floured banneton. Cover and refrigerate overnight (8–16 hours) for a slow, cold proof — this develops flavour and makes scoring easier.
Step 4: Bake
Preheat your oven to 250°C with your Dutch oven inside for at least 45 minutes. Turn your dough out onto baking paper, score the top with a sharp knife or lame, and carefully lower it into the hot Dutch oven. Bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncovered for a further 20–25 minutes until deep golden brown.
Ready to Start Baking?
The hardest part of sourdough is getting your hands on a healthy, active starter. Skip the guesswork and shop our Sourdough Starters — available individually or as a Duo or Trio for the serious home baker. We ship across Australia and internationally.