There’s something about discovering a neighbourhood’s local bakery. You learn who are the locals who pick up their regular loaf of fermented sourdough breads, witness friendly smiles exchanged across the counter’s threshold, and smell the divine scent of freshly baked goods.
But at Motherdough, it is said the hardest working member of the team is Alfonsina, their sourdough starter, which has been fermenting breads since June 1919. You may not see her, but know she is in the bakery’s fridge, wrapped and tied up in a cotton cloth. You will however see all of the delicious breads she has fermented.
Quality, Love, and Care
Today, it seems everyone has their version of a sourdough bread, but very few bread purveyors are providing real sourdough bread. So what makes a proper loaf of sourdough bread? Good flour, a healthy, active sourdough starter, and a love for well-made bread.
Some might like a hole-filled and lacy sourdough crumb with a thin, crackly crust whereas others might prefer a softer crust with a more closed crumb so the toppings don't fall through. However, the moniker ‘sourdough’ is not exclusive to loaves of bread as evident by Motherdough’s other sweet sourdough offerings like sourdough muffins and sourdough brownies (a must try for any sweet lover).
Making Motherdough a must visit when in Franschhoek. Their delicious, fresh variety of baked goods and sourdough breads paired with warm coffee makes this a must stop during a winter visit to the Franschhoek valley. It is also clear that the team at Motherdough champions the hard work of their sourdough starter, Alfonsina. Make sure to check their trading hours before your next visit: Motherdough is open 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM from Wednesday to Saturday. They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
