Beginner Sourdough Baking: My First Loaf Using the Lady Penelope Starter Kit

Beginner Sourdough Baking

Starting sourdough baking feels exciting and slightly overwhelming at the same time. I wanted to learn how to make real, traditional bread at home. So I began my journey using the Lady Penelope sourdough starter kit. This is my experience of making my very first sourdough loaf and what I’ve learned along the way.

What is sourdough bread?

Sourdough bread is natural bread made through fermentation. It does not use commercial yeast. Instead, it relies on a live culture of flour and water called a starter.

This process takes time. However, it creates a rich flavour and a chewy texture. The crust also becomes crisp and golden. As a result, sourdough feels more rustic and handmade than standard bread.

What you need to make sourdough bread.

Sourdough uses simple ingredients. But the process needs patience and care.

You only need:

• Flour
• Water
• Salt
• A live sourdough starter

In addition, timing plays a big role. You must allow the dough to ferment properly. You also need time for folding, resting, and proving. Because of this, sourdough becomes more of a process than a quick bake.

What flours can be used in sourdough?

Different flours change the flavour and texture of the bread. So it helps to experiment over time.

Common choices include:

• Strong white bread flour for structure and a light crumb
• Whole wheat flour for a deeper and nuttier taste
• Rye flour for a stronger, tangy flavour and faster fermentation
• Spelt flour for a mild, slightly sweet result
• Blended flours for balance and complexity

Each flour brings something different. Therefore, many bakers mix them to find their perfect loaf.

What is a sourdough starter?

A sourdough starter is a living mixture of flour and water. It captures wild yeast and natural bacteria from the environment. Over time, it ferments and becomes active.

When it is ready, it looks bubbly and airy. It also has a slightly tangy smell. At this point, it can raise bread naturally.You feed the starter with fresh flour and water. This keeps it alive and strong for baking.

How to Bake Sourdough Bread

Option 1 — Dutch Oven Method

Preheat your Dutch oven in a hot oven to create steam naturally. Bake the dough covered first, then uncover to finish for a crisp, golden crust.

Option 2 — Steam Tray Method (No Dutch Oven)

Place a tray of hot water in the base of the oven to create steam. Bake the dough on a tray, adding steam at the start for better rise and crust.

What I have made with sourdough so far

So far, I have only made my first basic sourdough loaf. It was a learning experience from start to finish. I watched the dough rise slowly and develop into a real loaf of bread.

It felt rewarding to take it out of the oven and see the final result. The crust had a good colour, and the texture felt right for a first attempt.

Now that I have completed my first loaf, I feel more confident. I am still learning, but I am excited to improve with each bake. As I get more confident baking sourdough bread, I look forward to trying these flavours.

I am also looking forward to trying different flavour variations in the future. There are so many possibilities with sourdough, including seeded loaves, whole wheat versions, and more creative options like olive and herb breads. Sweet sourdoughs with fruit are also something I would love to try as I build more experience.

You can even make gluten-free sourdough bread, and Lady Penelope also offers kits designed specifically for gluten-free baking, which makes it more accessible for people with different dietary needs.

For now, I am focusing on getting the basics right. One loaf at a time helps me understand the process better.

Benefits of sourdough bread

Sourdough has several benefits beyond taste.It is often easier to digest because of the long fermentation. It also contains fewer additives compared to shop-bought bread.

In addition, it has a lower glycaemic impact for many people. The flavour is richer and more complex as well. Because of the slow process, the bread feels more natural and traditional.

My experience with the Lady Penelope sourdough kit

The Lady Penelope sourdough starter kit made the process much easier for a beginner. It gave me everything I needed in one place.

The kit includes:

• A live sourdough starter
• Danish dough whisk
• Banneton baskets
• Dough slings
• Flour dusters
• Thermometer
• Dough lame for scoring

Each tool helped in a different way. The whisk made mixing easier. The banneton helped shape the dough. The lame allowed me to score the dough before baking, which made the loaf feel more professional.

Most importantly, the live starter removed the hardest step. I did not need to build one from scratch. Instead, I could start baking straight away. That made the whole process feel more accessible and enjoyable.

Final thoughts

My first sourdough loaf taught me a lot. It taught me patience, timing, and trust in the process.

Although I am still at the beginning, I already understand why people enjoy sourdough baking so much. It slows everything down. At the same time, it makes the end result feel more meaningful.

I am looking forward to improving and trying new variations as I continue this journey.

If you want to try your hand at baking sourdoughbread you can get the Lady Penelope sourdough bread Starter kit from here

I was sent a sourdough starter pack by Lady Penelope's kitchen and I throughly enjoyed the experience.

Knead to Know Bread making class -Jamie Oliver Cookery School

I enjoy cooking and baking but I have not really got into bread making yet. I make bread rolls and sometimes pizza base but that is as far as my bread making skills take me. I have always wanted to create beautiful loaves of bread so when I had a chance to try out a bread making class hosted by Hotpoint and Currys PC World at the Jamie Oliver Cookery school, I did not need much persuasion to say yes.

The Jamie Oliver Cookery school is part of the Jamie Oliver restaurant and it is located in The Westfield shopping centre in Shepherds Bush. The cookery school is bright and airy and is fully kitted with all the newest kitchen equipment and Hotpoint ovens. Our lesson started with a brief introduction to the Hotpoint ovens that we were going to use in the kitchens. As all new electrical equipment, oven too have come along way. The new Hotpoint ovens have a multi flow technology that distributes heat evenly so everything in the oven will cook evenly, this is an important factor in baking especially bread.

Next we watched a demonstration by the resident chef to make the bread dough for the bread rolls and Focaccia bread.We learnt the key skills of bread making such as knocking, kneading, proving and shaping the dough. These skills are of utmost importance in creating the perfect loaf.

I  realised whilst attempting to make my own bread rolls and Focaccia bread that baking bread is actually very messy but at the same time extremely therapeutic and a great way to unwind. The best bit is that the kitchen smells heavenly and the taste of hot bread straight out of the oven is absolutely delicious.

I was rather pleased with my bread rolls and Focaccia bread, although I did learn that if you add too many pumpkin seeds they can burn!!!!I am rather proud at my plaiting skills demonstrated in the picture below.

As the saying goes "the proof of the pudding is in the eating" this we did as we enjoyed our hot freshly baked bread rolls, served with a lovely cheese fondue and roasted pumpkin soup made at Jamie Oliver's Kitchen.

The whole bread making session was excellent and I have definitely come home with much more confidence at attempting to bake bread. If you are keen to learn how to bake bread or just need to boost your confidence than you can book classes at the Jamie Oliver school. You can also check out the recipes for the Rosemary Focaccio and the Roasted Pumpkin soup at the Currys Tech Talk Blog

I was invited to the bread making class by Currys PC World  and Hotpoint. All the views expressed in this post are my own as are all the photos.