Frequently asked questions

Sourdough is made without using commercial 'instant' yeast, and relies instead upon microorganisms which exist in a flour-water mixture known as the 'sourdough starter'. This starter needs to be fed with flour and water everyday to keep it alive, contented and active, so that it's able to make your bread rise!

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Once the starter has been fed and begins to mature, I then use this to make a levain. The levain contains starter, wholemeal flour and water, and will be added to the bread dough once it is bubbly and active.

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Once the dough has been mixed, it then gets stretched every 30-45 minutes to help build strength. It's the strength that enables it to hold its shape and gives you those characteristic holes in your sourdough. Between 4-6 hrs later, the bread is then shaped and put in the fridge, for an overnight cold proof. This long, slow fermentation gives your bread its distinctive flavour and makes it easier to digest than non-sourdough loaves. The whole process takes 48 hours.

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All hail those mighty microbes!

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I also only bake to order to avoid waste - so if I get a message on a Friday night wanting a loaf to be delivered on Saturday morning, I simply won't have prepared the dough to do this!

We deliver on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays - to CO1, CO2, CO3, CO4, CO5 and CO7. Deliveries take place in the morning - unless it's a very busy bun day with so many deliveries that it runs into lunchtime as well!

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Unfortunately I can't give specific delivery time slots, which is why I ask for a safe place to leave your goodies if you're not in. The delivery service is free, and the route taken is decided on the morning depending on the addresses we have to deliver to. 

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I appreciate everyone wants to know a 30 minute delivery window, but until we use a paid courier service (which will no longer be free) it isn't realistic for us to do this. If you do need something for a very specific time (e.g. a special event) it is best to send an email to disucss this.

This is my most-asked question - and the answer is, YES!

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Pizza dough MUST go in the fridge once it's delivered. If it's left at room temperature, those microorganisms will continue to ferment the dough and it will overprove. Once fridged, it's best used within 48hrs. It can be left longer, but the crust will have fewer big bubbles and the flavour will become more sour.

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It's absolutely fine to freeze your dough. It defrosts quite rapidly, so I get mine out a couple of hours before I want to use it. Once it's defrosted I can always then pop it in the fridge to use later the same day.

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Remember to use the instructions you receive with your order to help you shape the dough, or watch the handy video on our Instagram page.

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