From Starter to Loaf
A single loaf takes up to 72 hours from start to finish. Here's why we think that's worth it.
Watch it rise
Scroll to see the dough come alive
The Starter
Meet Colette. Our wild-caught sourdough starter, named after Margot's grand-mere. She's been alive and thriving since 2015, fed daily with stone-milled Carolina Ground flour.
Wild yeast is everywhere — in the flour, in the air, on our hands. Colette captures that life and transforms it into the soul of every loaf. She's tangy, complex, and irreplaceable.
The Mix
We combine Colette with locally milled flour, water, and sea salt. That's it. Four ingredients. No commercial yeast, no dough conditioners, no shortcuts.
Margot mixes by hand, feeling the dough develop gluten structure through a series of stretches and folds over several hours. Each flour behaves differently — she adjusts by instinct.
Bulk Fermentation
The dough rests and rises at room temperature. Every 30 minutes, Margot performs a set of stretch-and-folds, building structure without kneading.
This is where flavor develops. The wild yeast and lactobacillus bacteria feast on the flour's sugars, producing CO2 (for rise) and organic acids (for that signature tang).
Shaping
The dough is divided, pre-shaped, and given its final form. Each loaf is placed into a floured banneton basket lined with linen.
Shaping is where the baker's touch matters most. Too tight and the bread won't rise in the oven. Too loose and it spreads flat. Margot has shaped tens of thousands of loaves.
Cold Retard
The shaped loaves go into the refrigerator for a long, slow cold ferment. This is where the magic happens — deep, complex flavors develop over days.
Cold fermentation slows yeast activity but lets bacteria continue working, creating the lactic and acetic acids that give sourdough its distinctive depth. Our country loaf gets a full 72 hours.
The Bake
Henri fires up the wood-burning oven before dawn. Loaves go straight from the fridge to the searing hot oven. Steam is injected for the first 15 minutes for that crackling crust.
The extreme heat causes 'oven spring' — a final dramatic rise as gases expand. The steam keeps the crust pliable so the bread can fully expand before the crust sets and caramelizes.
Why slow matters
Flavor
Long fermentation creates complex organic acids that give sourdough its distinctive depth. You can't rush that chemistry.
Nutrition
The long ferment breaks down phytic acid, making minerals more bioavailable. Our bread is genuinely easier to digest.
Texture
Time develops gluten structure naturally. The result: an open, airy crumb inside a shattering, caramelized crust.