Sourdough is the original, the most delicious and the most nutritious bread, and John Downes is Australia’s original traditional sourdough baker. In the Sourdough Loaf, John shares the techniques, recipes and insights, gained from over 40 years of artisan sourdough baking. He provides readers of all proficiency levels with a low fuss, step by step approach to baking great sourdough, with tips on ingredients, methods and techniques, as he takes us on a gastronomic journey through the history, culture and practice of sourdough baking, infused with enthusiasm and enjoyment of good whole-food.

The Sourdough Loaf is a tour de force of over 40 sourdoughs bread recipes, from the crusty perfection of the Casalinga to the flavour-packed wholemeal Pans cum toto , the archaic Ginger bread, traditional Irish Barmbrack and the fermented cacao bread. There are breads suited to more tropical areas, such as the ancient breads of India, and brand new breads, such John’s innovative Bread of the Rings , all clearly explained and interspersed with stories of the origins of these delicious and most fundamental foods.

The Sourdough Loaf is a book that will earn itself a place on kitchen benches and bedside tables of both professional and home bakers for many years to come.