The sourdough round-up from the country you need to try now!

Who would’ve thought that niche, artisanal bread would be a thing? Sourdough is bread made from dough fermentation using yeast and lactobacillaceae (lactic bacteria). The fermentation of lactic bacteria makes the bread easier to store and provides the ‘sour’ taste of sourdough bread. It’s quite common in European history, with bakers choosing to leaven (leavening is a substance put into the dough to make it rise) with lactic bacteria—its traces are found in the Middle Ages down to the 18th century. Today, sourdough has more of a cult following; it’s also many times healthier than other breads! Its high levels of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants make it easier for your body to absorb those nutrients much more efficiently than other breads. Start rethinking bread by trying sourdough in a bakery near you!

The Bombay Food Company (Mumbai)

If you’re based in Mumbai and want to fully immersed yourself in sourdough, then this food delivery option is perfect for you! They have over 15 vegan and non-vegan sourdough options, with delicacies including plain, or rye sourdough as well as cherry tomato sourdough, olive tomato sourdough, and more. If you’re a foodie on the sofa, binging on the newest season of Shadow and Bone and want some really delicious, really healthy sourdough, contact the Bombay Food Company today. And hey, if you ever see their red food truck outside your streets, let us know, and we’ll check them out!

SAPA Bakery (Mysuru)

One look at their website is enough to make my mouth water! If you’re lucky enough to be in Mysuru, plan to visit immediately! They have artisanal pastries and treats (those are heavenly, too!), but definitely try their sourdough. They mill much of their own flour, have their own sourdough culture, and their bread is leavened by hand to ensure the homemade taste. The chef, Dina Weber, is a pastry chef who grew up in Germany. Her journey with sourdough began in Goa when a chef asked her to take care of his culture. While dealing with it, she felt the ‘spark’, and soon, started her own culture in Ladakh. Weber took them to Germany, where she mixed them with local flours, and brought them back and started SAPA! We couldn’t be happier; we’ve got an excellent sourdough cause of her!

Emmer Bakery (Pune)

People who live in Pune know how famous Emmer Bakery is. Located in Koregaon Park, this cafe serves bread (that is always sold out, so hurry up!), tarts, and other savoury food you need. Reading a book and eating fresh bread, what more can you ask for? They bake their sourdough fresh and have loads of festive options. Many people say visiting the bakery during Christmas is a good idea, but you can enjoy the vibrancy of the restaurant anytime. The food is good, ambience is good, and it is one of the few places in Pune where you get good sourdough. 

Pumpkin Tales (Chennai)

An artisanal bakery located in the heart of the city, Pumpkin Tales serves ‘sustainable, healthy, delicious food’. It was started by three women who say that artisanal bakers are ‘taught to read into everything—the weather, the flour, and even yesterday’s stale bread’. This guarantees the perfect loaf of bread for you. The chef, Chindi Varadarajulu, is from Singapore and has lived in Vancouver. When she moved to India, she missed her breakfast stable of coffee and syrup, and thus started a bakery and restaurant with Rajarajeshwari and Bhuvaneshwari in Chennai. They bake small, fresh batches every day, so head to the bakery for your sourdough steal!

Miche Artisanal Bakery (Delhi)

An artisanal ‘micro-bakery’ that serves various breads in NCR and Delhi, Miche Artisanal Bakery is to use locally grown millet, grains and other components put into bread. The baker, Mayank Gupta, originally wanted to open his bakery elsewhere. Learning how to bake bread changed his life, and over the years he’s experimented with various recipes to produce the most delicious bread you’ll find in Delhi. You’ve sourdough in all its forms, Black Miche (miche is a speciality),  country Sourdough, walnut and cranberry, cheese, and many more. 

Bread and Butter by Manjari Almal (Kolkata)

Baker Manjari Almal’s sourdough is low on gluten and has a low glycemic index, which means it has fewer carbs. Also, it has no added yeast, is naturally probiotic, is low on gluten, and promotes good health. So eat all the bread you want and reap the benefits of healthy eating. The bread is leavened with flour, and slowly fermented, all-natural, so you get the best of fresh bread. They’ve got all sorts of sourdough, olive, sun-dried tomato, whole wheat, zataar, Italian sourdough, raised cinnamon, and tons more to satisfy your evening cravings! The artisanal bakery is located in Sunny Park, Kolkata.

Light Green Oven (Hyderabad)

Light Green Oven is a Hydrerabad-based bakery that serves artisanal pastries, food, and bread. All their products are made with quality ingredients without preservatives and with nutritional additives. The food is locally sourced and produced organically through a connection between farmers and businesses. Due to this organic rawness, the breads' taste varies between seasons and times. The bakery asks that you place your order 24hrs because they make all the orders fresh daily. Chef Shipra Chenji describes herself as truly ‘passionate about bread’. Apart from experimenting with different recipes, she spends time composting her food waste and buying organically. There are two branches, Secunderabad and Jubilee hills, so visit any!