Meet Will: The Baker Behind the Basic Loaf
About Me
I'm not a fancy pro baker with a secret ancestral starter passed down through generations. I've a full time job in tech, a lovely wife and two young kids. I'm just a big fan of baking and cooking.
Like many, I jumped headfirst into the sourdough craze during lockdown. My initial attempts? Let's just say they ranged from 'interestingly dense' to 'potential doorstop'. There were frisbees. There were bricks. My family politely endured my experiments.
But I persisted and kept tweaking, simplifying and experimenting to figure out a way to make great bread that didn't require quitting my job or sacrificing sleep for a ridiculously complex schedule. It had to fit around real life – school runs, zoom calls and busy kids' social calendars.
Through trial, error, and way too much flour, I perfected a method that works for me. It's reliable, tasty and produces a consistent loaf every day for my family.
Crucially, it was flexible, forgiving and didn't demand constant attention. I shared the method with friends and family who'd previously been scared off by sourdough and seeing them succeed was brilliant. That's what led me to this site – a place to share this simple, foolproof approach more widely.
The Basic Loaf Philosophy: Keep it Simple!
Sourdough has this reputation for being difficult, temperamental, almost mystical. It doesn't have to be!
- Simplicity: Minimal steps, minimal fuss. We focus on what really matters to make an amazing loaf of bread.
- Flexibility: This recipe is designed to work around you, not the other way around. Can't bake at your original time, no problem - leave the loaf in the fridge. Can't do that stretch and fold because you're busy? No problem - skip it!
- Low Effort: Your time is precious. This method relies on long, slow fermentation where time does the hard work, not you.
- Foolproof: Designed to be reliable and forgiving, reducing the chance of failure and those early 'doorstop' loaves.
- No Waste: We use the 'scrapings' method for feeding the starter – no unnecessary feeding and discarding!
The goal isn't just to give you a recipe, but to demystify the process and share with you a technique to bake amazing sourdough bread confidently, even with a busy life - like I have.
What Bakers Are Saying
"Great quality and amazing quick delivery. Starter growth was insane. On second day more than x2 and few days later made my first great bread."
- Iryna, via Etsy
"William is an excellent seller, who goes above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction. He has created lots of helpful information on sourdough and how to use his products. One of the best online sellers I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with."
- Angela, via Etsy
"Ordered on a Monday morning, shipped that day and arrived Tuesday. Fed it that evening and it sprang to life overnight! A lot of rise and very active, looking forward to baking with it."
- Christina, via Etsy
Follow Along / Get in Touch
While this site covers the core method, you will find me sharing random loaves and other cooking adventures on instagram: @basicloafsourdough.
Struggling with your starter or loaf? I also offer 1:1 virtual coaching sessions to help you troubleshoot.
Happy baking!