The Story Behind the Sourdough in Your Welcome Basket

You arrive at Number 18 and soak up the space and the light, after uncorking the chilled wine slice your sourdough bread with it’s crackly crust and airy crumb and start to unwind.

Like most people making sourdough bread has been testing to say the least! The only way to get into it and persevere is to embrace slow living and try, try & try again.

The secret is the starter, after making my own starter, or trying to, the results were never satisfactory, the dough was too wet, it wasn’t getting aeration or the bread was too flat, too heavy and un edible! Then I met someone who gave me some of their starter which was 20 years old and everything changed.

Some of my finest work! That unmistakable crackly as it comes out of the oven and the smell!

Of course there’s more to it than having the right starter but getting off to the right start is definitely a game changer, there’s the flour, Tipo 0 from the Mulino or supermarket is my go to, high in protein - at least 13%, the clock app on my phone has never had so much use, and patience, lot’s of patience. Sourdough has been a metaphor for slow, intentional living in the Monferrato countryside (water, flour, salt, time).

My tip for keeping your sourdough fresh during your stay

Sourdough bread has a fairly long shelf life due to the naturally occurring acids that develop during fermentation but there are a few things that can help as well.

Sourdough should have some aeration in the form of holes in the dough, but every loaf or batch is different… back to the drawing board!

Use the provided Breathable Linen: Store the loaf in the clean, heavy linen drawstring bread bag provided with your bread. Fabric allows subtle air circulation so the crust doesn't go soft and chewy, while keeping the crumb from drying out in ambient room air.

If you are using the bread throughout the day you can keep it dough side down on the wooden chopping board. The crust keeps moisture out protecting the dough from drying out.

We will offer a sourdough loaf on arrival and/or during your stay, just be sure to give 48 hours notice of when you think you’ll need more!