Sourdough Suppers: A Year in the Life of a Wild Yeast Culture

2016 | Food & Drink

An exquisite collection of moreish meals created around handmade breads and simple seasonal ingredients. Chef and sourdough teacher Hilary Cacchio shares 17 years of experience in her new bread cookbook, Sourdough Suppers. It is split into 12 monthly chapters, guiding readers through the seasons. The first few recipes in each chapter are the breads for the month, followed by recipes that either use bread or go well with the bread(s) featured. They are always colourful, easy, big-flavoured, informal and occasionally indulgent dishes that Hilary cooks herself. Each chapter opens with a full-colour illustration and Hilary peppers the book with anecdotes throughout, elevating Sourdough Suppers into more than just a cook book. From stories from her life as a chef; market life in the Pyrenees; a discussion about seasonal vegetables; and tips on how to transform fresh ingredients into vibrant dishes, the reader will be both informed and entertained.

The book covers a wide range of sourdough topics, including what wild yeast/sourdough culture is; how slow fermenting dough and making our bread naturally can benefit our taste buds and our health; its history; exposing myths; how to source a culture; storing and preparing a culture for baking; and trouble-shooting. Hilary also includes sections that explain the five elements of bread making (culture/flour/salt/water/time); the stages of bread making; the equipment required and how to convert all of the recipes from culture to commercial yeast. The philosophy of the bread-making part of the book is that after a very short while the new baker will be able to produce their natural breads with only fifteen minutes hands-on time. Sourdough Suppers is scattered with illustrations by the New Talent Bafta-winning illustrator and animator, Kate Charter. It's original and fresh and will appeal to bakers, inexperienced and expert, and anyone who loves bread.

Hilary Cacchio (Author)