OUR BREAD

The Cosgriff & Sons Sourdough Process

Slow. Natural. Honest.
Just flour, water, and salt
— nothing else.

At Cosgriff & Sons, our sourdough takes around 36 hours to create. We use a natural fermentation process - no commercial yeast, no shortcuts. It’s all about time, temperature, and intuition. That’s how we build deep flavour, a golden crust, and an open, chewy crumb.

Here’s how it all comes together:

Pink outline drawing of a stylized skull with large eye sockets and a small nose hole.

Step 1: Feeding the Starter

Everything begins with our sourdough starter; a living culture of wild yeast and bacteria. We feed it with flour and water, then let it ferment at room temperature for 8–9 hours. This is when the magic begins, the wild yeast activates, and the starter gets bubbly and full of life.

Step 2: Mixing and Bulk Fermentation

Next, we mix the dough: just flour, water, salt, and a portion of our active starter. Over the next 5–6 hours, the dough is left to ferment in a series of stages. We give it a few gentle folds along the way, this helps develop gluten structure without any aggressive kneading.

Step 3: Shaping and Cold Proof

Once the dough is airy and strong, we gently shape it into loaves and tuck them into baskets. Then they rest in the fridge for 24 hours. This slow, cold proof is key; it deepens the flavour, improves the crust, and gives our loaves that classic sourdough tang.

Step 4: Bake and Deliver

In the early morning, the loaves go into a blazing hot oven. We bake them on stone for maximum oven spring and caramelisation. The result? A loaf with a crisp, crackling crust and a soft, slightly tangy interior. Then it’s straight to our shelves so you get it fresh.

A person removing freshly baked loaves of bread from an oven.
A man with tattoos on his arm making bread in a kitchen at night, with multiple empty bread baskets on the counter. The kitchen is dimly lit with a hanging lamp directly above the man.
A man examines bakery goods on a metal rack, with shelves holding loaves of bread and baked items covered with cloth, in a bakery setting.
A man wearing a white t-shirt and a blue apron, holding a blue crate filled with various types of bread, standing outdoors next to a brick wall.
Person holding a round loaf of bread with a crusty top, wearing a dark apron with a sourdough logo, standing against a brick wall.
Person wearing a black apron with a bakery logo holding a large loaf of crusty artisan bread in front of a brick wall.
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