Short answer
A sourdough bread is bread raised by a starter of wild yeast and bacteria instead of commercial yeast. Slow fermentation gives it a mild tang, a chewy crumb and a crisp crust, and the ingredients are usually just flour, water and salt.
What is a sourdough bread? A sourdough bread is a loaf risen by a starter, a live mix of flour and water full of wild yeast and bacteria, instead of packet yeast. The slow fermentation gives sourdough bread its gentle tang, chewy crumb and crisp crust. The ingredients can be as short as flour, water and salt.
What makes bread sourdough?
Bread is sourdough when a starter, not commercial baker’s yeast, does the raising. The starter also produces acids during a long fermentation, and those acids give the loaf its name and its flavour.
A loaf with baker’s yeast and a splash of vinegar or flavouring may taste sour, but it is not made the same way. The defining test is whether a live culture raised the dough over many hours.
How is the tang made?
The tang in sourdough comes from lactic acid and acetic acid produced by bacteria in the starter while the dough ferments. More time and more warmth generally mean more acid.
Bakers control the flavour in several ways. A cool overnight proof gives a deeper, more acidic loaf. A short, warm rise gives a milder one. The flour matters too, as wholemeal and rye ferment faster and taste more sour than white flour.
What is the texture of sourdough?
Sourdough has a chewy, springy crumb and a thick crust that crackles when cut. The open, irregular holes in many loaves come from strong fermentation and careful handling of a wet dough.
The crust is thicker than on most supermarket loaves because the bread bakes at high heat, often with steam. A good sourdough crust is deep golden to dark brown, with small blisters where the surface cooked fast.
Where does sourdough bread come from?
Sourdough is one of the oldest forms of leavened bread, and bakers in many parts of the world, including Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, have used fermented doughs for centuries. No single person or country invented it, and claims about exact dates or places are best treated with caution.
Before commercial yeast was produced in the nineteenth century, bread across much of Europe was raised with some kind of fermented dough, so sourdough is closer to the traditional method than a modern novelty. Regional styles grew up around local flours. German and Scandinavian bakers favoured rye, French bakers developed the country loaf called pain de campagne, and Italian bakers use a similar stiff starter known as lievito madre.
How long does it take to make a sourdough bread?
A sourdough bread usually takes between 12 and 36 hours from mixing to eating, though most of that time is waiting rather than working. The active work is often under an hour in total.
A typical craft timeline looks like this:
- Feed the starter in the morning or the evening before.
- Mix the dough and rest it for about 30 minutes.
- Fold the dough several times during the first few hours of fermentation.
- Shape the loaf and prove it, often overnight in a cool place.
- Bake in a hot oven for 35 to 50 minutes, depending on size.
- Cool on a rack before cutting, as the crumb finishes setting while cooling.
Cutting too early gives a gummy slice, which is why bakers ask for patience.
Sourdough vs regular bread: what is the difference?
Sourdough is raised with a live starter over many hours, while regular sandwich bread is raised with baker’s yeast, often with added sugar, fat or improvers, in a short time. The two breads differ in ingredients, taste and texture.
| Feature | Sourdough bread | Regular sliced bread |
|---|---|---|
| Raised by | Starter | Baker’s yeast |
| Ingredients | Often flour, water, salt | Flour, yeast, salt, often sugar and fat |
| Flavour | Tangy, savoury | Mild, slightly sweet |
| Crumb | Chewy, irregular | Soft, even |
| Shelf life | Several days | Often longer with additives |
Labels vary, so the ingredient list is the best guide to what you are buying.
What can you do with sourdough bread?
Sourdough bread suits toast, sandwiches, soup, cheese boards and breakfast eggs, and its firm crumb copes with heavy toppings. Day-old loaves are ideal for croutons and breadcrumbs.
- Slice thick and toast for butter and jam
- Layer with cheese or roasted vegetables for a toastie
- Tear and use for dipping in soup or olive oil
- Cube and bake for croutons
- Toast and rub with tomato, as in Spanish pan con tomate
What types of sourdough bread are there?
Sourdough comes in many types, defined by the flour, the shape and the extras added to the dough. The method is the same, but the loaves look and taste quite different.
- White sourdough: made with refined wheat flour, with a light crumb and mild tang.
- Wholemeal sourdough: made with whole wheat flour, darker and nuttier.
- Spelt sourdough: made with spelt, an older wheat relative, with a gentle, slightly sweet flavour.
- Rye sourdough: dense, dark and distinctly sour, common in northern Europe.
- Seeded and flavoured loaves: dough with seeds, cheese, olives, herbs or chilli folded in.
- Baguettes and rolls: shaped differently but raised by the same kind of starter.
Each type bakes a little differently, so bakers adjust water, timing and temperature for each flour.
How can you spot real sourdough in a shop?
Real sourdough has a short ingredient list with no baker’s yeast, and the bakery should be able to say how long the dough ferments. A thick, well-coloured crust and uneven crumb are good signs.
If the bread is wrapped in a bag with a long ingredient list, check for yeast, acidity regulators, flavourings or improvers. At an independent bakery, the person at the counter can usually tell you what is in each loaf.
Which flavoured sourdoughs exist at Gorse Bakery?
Gorse Bakery, an independent sourdough bakery and cafe near Newquay in Cornwall, is named in press and directory coverage for spelt sourdough, Cornish cheddar sourdough, Marmite sourdough and pickled green chilli sourdough, plus a baguette and a sourdough pide flatbread.
These are the items recorded in November 2026 and the range changes, so none of them is guaranteed to be available on a given day. No prices are published. The menu page gathers the recorded items, and the hours and location page explains where the bakery is and how its listed times differ between sources. This guide is independent and takes no orders.
Common questions
Is sourdough bread healthier than other bread?
This guide makes no health claims. Sourdough differs mainly in how it is raised and how it tastes. If you have dietary needs or allergies, check the ingredients and ask the baker directly.
Is all sourdough sour?
No. Sourness depends on the starter, flour and fermentation time. Some loaves are only faintly tangy while others are noticeably sharp. Bakeries often adjust the process to suit the flavour they want.
Does sourdough contain gluten?
Yes. Sourdough made from wheat, spelt or rye contains gluten. Anyone who must avoid gluten should ask the bakery about ingredients and cross contact before buying any loaf.
What flour is used in sourdough?
Any bread flour can be used. White wheat, wholemeal, spelt and rye are all common, and many loaves blend several flours for flavour and structure.
Why does sourdough have big holes?
Large holes come from a wetter dough, gentle handling and strong fermentation, which trap gas as the loaf bakes. Not every sourdough is meant to be open, as denser crumbs suit sandwiches.
This page is part of the independent guide to Gorse Bakery, which has the address, hours and menu.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Gorse Bakery itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.