The Sourdough School

BALM – Proven as one of the healthiest approaches to bread in the world.

Based in the walled gardens of Dr. Vanessa Kimbell's beautiful Victorian home in rural Northamptonshire, UK, we tutor individuals and train bakers and healthcare professionals in Baking as Lifestyle Medicine (BALM). Personalising bread to your lifestyle, gut microbiome, and unique genetics for optimal health—tailoring fermentation, fibre, and diversity so that your daily bread becomes the foundation of your health.

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Mature starter smells of nail polish remover OR old cheese

Your starter is desperate to be refreshed if it smells of nail polish remover (acetone) or, even further down the line, old cheese (butyric acid). The sad truth is that the esters in your starter, whilst delicious, are in part due to the alcohol produced by yeast fermentation because it is too mature to use. The esters actually contribute little towards final bread flavour, and you will end up with an underproved and heavy loaf. Refresh your starter back to back at least three times before you bake.

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