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Sourdough Story Imagine spending a week surrounded by +150 living sourdough cultures from around the world. That’s exactly what it’s like to refresh the world’s only Sourdough Library—and it’s as magical as it sounds. From Australia to Belgium: A Sourdough Dream Begins Back in 2013, I was working in a remote supermarket bakery in Australia. Sourdough wasn’t yet the global trend it is today, but one article in an Australian baking magazine changed everything. It mentioned some

Sourdough Story Meet Beesham Soogrim , a passionate baker, educator, and sourdough ambassador whose journey began on the sun-drenched...

Sourdough Story What started as a simple holiday in France turned into a life-changing journey for Ralph Nieboer—now a proud sourdough...

Sourdough Insights We pay for bottled water without blinking—but expect bread to be free. It’s time to rethink the value of one of the...

Sourdough Science Sourdough has been part of human history for over  5,000 years , yet it continues to surprise us. At the Sourdough Institute, we’re always exploring new questions—and this time, we asked: If you feed different sourdough starters the same flour, will they become more alike, or retain their unique character? To find out, we invited  seven professional bakers  and  eight passionate hobbyists  to take part in a bold experiment. The Setup Each baker received a ba

Sourdough Science Sourdough bread isn’t just a trend—it’s a tradition rooted in time, taste, and health. Discover why long fermentation is the secret to better bread. Why Sourdough Bread Takes Time Bread is made from simple ingredients: flour, water, salt—and one often overlooked but essential element: time. While commercial yeast can produce a loaf in just a couple of hours, sourdough fermentation takes much longer—sometimes up to 48 hours. But is it really worth the wait? A

Sourdough Recipes Learn how to make your own sourdough starter and bake delicious artisan bread at home. Sourdough Bread Step 1: Make Your Own Sourdough Starter Before you bake, you need a healthy, active starter. Here's how to create one from scratch using just flour and water. Ingredients: Flour : Use pure flour (white, wholegrain, rye, spelt, or stoneground). Avoid pre-mixed blends. Water : Use chlorine-free, room-temperature water. Let tap water sit for 12 hours or use a

Sourdough Tips How to Score a Baguette Scoring a baguette is more than just making cuts—it's a technique that shapes how your loaf...

Sourdough Recipes Click on the picture to watch the Quest for Sourdough movie featuring Will Grant Celebrating National Pizza Day with...

Sourdough Recipes Who is Ione Christensen? Ione Christensen is a notable figure from Dawson City, Yukon. She has had a distinguished...

Sourdough Fermentation involves complex interactions between enzymes in the flour and the metabolism of microorganisms, which greatly affect bread quality. These interactions influence the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins phenolic compounds and fats.

Ever wondered how ancient practices like fermentation can transform your diet? Dive into our article to learn how fermenting plant foods can boost their nutritional value, make them easier to digest, and even help with food sensitivities. From reducing harmful compounds to enhancing flavors, find out why this age-old technique is still relevant today.

Objective & Methodology The primary objective of this study was to assess the effect of tap water on the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) population of traditional and mature sourdough, and the establishment of the LAB community during sourdough preparation. Ten tap waters from Italian regions known for their cultural heritage in leavened baked goods were used to refresh a traditional Apulian sourdough or to start a firm (type I) sourdoughs. The same type and batch of flour, recipe

Sourdough Institute | 2022 Objective & Methodology This study aimed to investigate how various backslopping parameters influence sourdough fermentation and the resulting bread quality. The research focused on traditional sourdough fermentation, examining the effects of different parameters on the physico-chemical characteristics of both sourdough and bread dough. Sixteen sourdough samples were prepared with varying dough yields (150, 200, 300), temperatures (18°C, 25°C, 30°C)

Sourdough Institute | 2021 Objective & Methodology The primary objective of this study was to investigate how varying percentages of mother dough (10%, 20%, 30%) and different fermentation temperatures influence the characteristics of sourdough. This research aimed to provide insights that could help bakers optimize their sourdough bread production to meet specific quality and sensory standards. Seven sourdough samples were selected from the Sourdough Library based on their t

Sourdough Institute | 2024 Objective & Approach The goal of this study was to create a sourdough bread that not only offers significant health benefits but is also well-received by consumers, specifically targeting Belgian preferences. The approach taken in this study could later be adapted for other consumer groups. Researchers selected sourdoughs from the Puratos Sourdough Library, focusing on the species of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and the type of flour used, both of whi

Sourdough Institute | 2021 Objective & Approach The Sourdough Institute conducted a fascinating study in 2021 to explore how different yeast species influence sourdough characteristics and bread quality. The study involved sixteen sourdough samples from the Sourdough Library, categorized into two groups based on dominant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) species and varying yeast species. These sourdoughs were refreshed and used in bread making, with parameters such as pH, acidity,

The extra time taken to make the sourdough and bread can even bring additional health benefits.