Top 8 sourdough tested

SOURDOUGH is the new quinoa, the pesto, the sun-dried tomato, the hand-cooked crisps, the pomegranate molasses of recent years.

Fashionable because it’s delicious. It commands a slightly higher price than regular yeast bread as it takes more time to first mature the natural yeasts and bacteria for the ‘mother culture’ which is then divided and used for each batch of bread.

A piece of the mother culture continues to be used for future batches, but has to be treated carefully and used often to keep it ‘fed’. This is what is off- putting for home-bakers who may not bake often enough to be worth the trouble. The mother culture mixed with flour, salt and water is then allowed to ‘mature’ and ‘prove’ for longer than regular yeast breads and this is when the rich flavour develops. From starting the mother culture to cutting your first slice could take 10 days. After that, it’s not as long.

I searched supermarkets for sourdough breads and many don’t have any. It seems it is best made by smaller operators more dedicated to slow-baking methods. If you do find wrapped sourdough, check the label for additives. Genuine sourdough should have just flour, water and salt.

Sourdough is more digestible than regular bread as the acids in it break down the gluten in the flour. Sourdough is delicious toasted, dipped in olive oil and sprinkled with crunchy salt, and used for summer crostini and simple sandwiches.

Natural Foods Bakery, spelt white and rye sourdough, 600g €3

In its shop on Paul Street, Blackrock and markets in Cork, this spelt white flour is mixed with a rye sourdough starter to make a superb bread. The taste is deeply delicious, the crust crisp and light and the crumb soft and tasty.

Score: 9

Arbutus Breads seeded white sourdough, 500g €2.90

This has the best, crisp, yet robust crust of all samples and a deliciously light crumb. The onion and sesame seeds on top add to an already flavoursome round. Delicious! Plenty of other sourdoughs too from their range at On the Pig’s Back and country markets in Mahon Point and Midleton.

Score: 9

Baking Emporium rye sourdough, 600g €3.80

Made in Dunmanway and sold at many markets in Munster, there is a selection of sourdoughs on offer. While very dark in colour, the texture was surprisingly light, especially for rye which is quite a hard flour and difficult to bake with. A very good crust in an attractive pattern and very tasty.

Score: 9

ABC Bakery Strong white sourdough, 700g €3.80

A robust crust with nice, elastic crumb, this has a lovely deep flavour from being fermented longer than the regular sourdough.

Delicious. From English Market, Cork.

Score: 8.25

Pana Bakery brown sourdough, 520g €2.80

A nice, light open textured crumb has a toffee-like crust and a gentle flavour. At Merchant’s Quay Shopping Centre.

Score: 8

Barrons’ Bakery Cappoquin white wheat sourdough 300g €2.50

A terrific toffee like crust encloses an even, substantial classic sourdough texture with plenty of flavour.

Score: 8

Marks & Spencer San Francisco style sourdough, 500g €2.89

No deep flavour as expected in this unremarkable bread. The texture of the crumb is light, the crust a bit too chewy.

Score: 6

Tesco La Brea sourdough, 400g €2.15

A nice, open crumb here, but the fermented flavours are very harsh, almost beer-like. The crust is quite tough too.

Score: 5.5