by Gillian Ching (
subscribe)
I'm a freelance writer living in Brisbane who loves exploring quirky places with my dog. Join me on my quest to find, experience, and share fun things to do and interesting places to go.Please like, share and subscribe if you enjoy the articles.
Is there anything better than the smell of freshly baked bread wafting from the oven? If you have ever dreamed of mastering the art of making mouth-watering bread from your very own kitchen, well, now you can, with the convenience of the Sourdough Starter Kit.
Where did it all start?The Sourdough Starter Kit is produced in Adelaide and the brainchild of Josh Timm, who formed the
You Knead Sourdough in November 2020 from his love of baking and sharing his creations with family and friends.
Founder Josh Timms
Connoisseurs of bread will know that sourdough is a little bit special, not only because of its unique and slightly bitter taste but also due to its history; the ancient Egyptians are believed to have been the first recorded civilization in around 1500BC to discover the bread and to create its specific "leaving" technique.
You see, unlike other bread varieties, sourdough is made from the naturally occurring yeast and bacteria in flour. At the heart of this is the fermentation process and a "starter", which is the home base for making your microbial culture.
Sourdough is also considered to be one of the healthiest bread varieties since it has a natural probiotic and is nutritious. The invention and flavour of the bread may have gotten you curious but it is the eating experience which is likely to win out. Josh describes sourdough as crusty, artisan and delicious.
The Bread Baking ExperienceSo it was my turn to try my hand at making my own loaf of sourdough bread. My Sourdough Starter Kit arrived in the post with everything I needed to begin my bread making culinary adventure.
Inside the box, I found both the ingredients and the specialist equipment including:
Bread flourSourdough StarterOval Banneton baking trayDanish Dough WhiskBread LameDough Bench Scraper
The high quality of the materials and ingredients are immediately obvious. The specialist flour is supplied by the Flinders Ranges Premium Grain. Everything looks and feels special and makes even the first time bread maker feel professional and confident to tackle the recipe.
Next step and I logged onto the You Knead Sourdough website to find the sourdough starter instructions to activate the dried starter flakes.
This part is unique and unlike other cooking adventures. It felt like I was embarking on a cooking chemistry experience to carefully watch over the starter to see it change, develop and mature.
After several hours of "topping it up", rolling and wrapping the dough and then putting it in the oven and my first loaf of bread was nearly ready to arrive.
I realised that making sourdough bread is not something that you can just whip up at short notice. It does take quite a few hours to prepare and watch over and nurture the starter. But that was part of the fun and reward for your continued patience and attention to the detail of the bake.
As a novice, I opted for a standard sourdough bread but the brave can add toppings like olives and create a focaccia before putting it in the oven for extra flavour.
The Highlight of the Bake
Well, pleasingly the loaf cooked beautifully with a crispy top and was purely delicious - all thanks to the Sourdough Starter Kit.
My overall highlight was having all of the ingredients and utensils readily at my fingertips which takes the complexity out of the preparation. This also gives the user greater confidence to take on this cooking project. It was also fun and a great way to learn an ancient craft.
Who else would enjoy this product? Josh believes that the kit "definitely appeals to anyone who loves cooking but might be a bit scared to try sourdough. The kit makes gives all the tools you need to take away that fear and get people baking" and I tend to agree.
I should also add that the sourdough bread was the star of the savoury platter board I served over Sunday lunch. When guests asked about and sampled a slice, the best thing of all was having the bragging rights to be able to say, "I made that."
If this has left you inspired and curious and wondering how you can purchase one for yourself then just head to You Knead Sourdough. Kits are $89.00 and include free shipping. Bon Appetite.
