What is sourdough?
Sourdough is not a style of bread as such, but rather a way of making bread, we consider it to be both an art and a science! Sourdough is the traditional method of leavening bread, using a sourdough starter culture of natural yeasts and bacteria to ferment the dough, rather than commercial baker’s yeast. This balance of yeasts and bacteria is controlled by cold slow fermentation, which allows the bread to rise (thanks to the yeasts), whilst developing a signature sour flavour (thanks to the bacteria).
Do you make gluten free bread?
We don’t make gluten free bread as we’re unable to segregate the products in our bakery. Whilst our bread isn’t suitable for people with coeliac disease, some people with mild gluten intolerances may find that sourdough is easier for them to digest than other types of bread, due to the slow fermentation process used.
Does your sourdough contain yeast?
We do not add baker’s yeast to our sourdough bread. Our sourdough is made with a starter culture of naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria, found in the air. Some of our other non-sourdough products do include baker’s yeast. You can find all our product ingredients on our website and product packaging.
Do you offer pre-sliced bread?
This isn’t something we offer at the moment, so grab yourself a good bread knife!
How much notice do you need for stockist orders and cancellations?
Our award-winning sourdough is a slow-fermented product which takes 48 hours to produce, from start to finish. For this reason, we need a minimum of 48 hours notice for all orders.
To minimise food waste, all our loaves are baked to order, and we do not carry stock. No amends can be made to orders after 4pm two days prior to delivery. Any cancellations after this time will be charged in full.
What is the shelf life of your bread?
We choose to display a best before date of the day after our bread is baked. That’s because our bread is ‘at its best’ during the first two days, and we want you to buy our bread at its freshest. That said, it’s important to remember that a best before date is a quality indicator, not a food safety indicator, and our bread will still be great to eat for several days, especially if toasted. If your bread has gone a little stale, you can refresh it by splashing it with a little water and placing it in a hot oven for around 5 minutes. This process can be carried out once only.
What is the best way to store Luke’s Sourdough?
We recommend storing our bread at room temperature. Don’t store it in the fridge, as it’ll actually go stale faster. And all our bread can be frozen and defrosted too.
Is your bread suitable for freezing?
Yes, our bread is suitable for freezing. We recommend placing it in a plastic bag or air-tight container before freezing, to protect it from freezer burn. For best results, we recommend using it within one month of freezing. You can even pre-slice your bread before freezing for convenient individual slices. Never refreeze after thawing.
Is your bread suitable for vegans?
Our signature sourdough is made with simple ingredients, just flour, salt and water, so most of our loaves are suitable for vegans. However, some of our flavour variations include additional ingredients which are unsuitable for vegans, for example, our honey, oat and raisin sourdough contains honey, which isn’t suitable for vegans. We also use dairy in our teacakes, for example. You can find the ingredients for our products on our website and on product packaging.
Do you have a shop?
We don’t have our own shop and, as our bakery space is situated on a busy industrial park, we don’t sell our bread directly from the bakery. You can find our bread in retailers across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Our full list of stockists can be found on our website here.
Where can I buy your bread?
Our bread is available to buy from a range of retailers across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. You can find our full list of stockists on our website here.
We also offer a Saturday home delivery service via our Bread Round. Visit the Bread Round pages to find out more and check if you’re in one of our delivery areas.
If you’re a wholesale customer wishing to buy bread for retail or catering, please get in touch.
Do you use organic flour?
We source our flour from a Mill in Driffield on the Yorkshire Wolds, just a few miles from our Brough bakery. Whilst the flour we use isn’t certified as organic, we make other conscious choices to be kind to the environment. By sourcing locally, we reduce food miles and support a local food producer, as well as English farmers who grow some of the wheat which makes our flour.