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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Help – I want to go on holiday. Does my starter need a babysitter?

Leaving your starter is tough one. I often leave my starter for up to 2 weeks without any ill affects. Some people like to leave it with a friend or neighbour. If that’s not an option, you can maintain your starter by leaving the microbes in a super fit condition and reducing the acidity. Refresh your starter twice a day over 2 days before you go away, and in the final refreshment thicken it up to about 60g of water for every 100g of flour that you use.  Reducing the amount of water slows down the enzymes, in turn this slows down the rate of acidification. When you get back, build your starter up again by giving it a good feed twice a day for 2 days.  Then return to a normal refreshment schedule.

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