What does "naturally fermented" mean? 

Hildy's breads are naturally fermented through the use of a sourdough culture (starter). It is the leavening agent used to give the bread its "rise". 

Sourdough is not a flavor or a specific type of bread. It is a way of making bread and the method for how the bread rises. You can have sourdough bread, bagels, English muffins, rolls, donuts, crackers, whatever! Sourdough breads are made without the addition of baker's yeast. Instead, sourdough is made with wild yeast and bacterias which are pulled from the air, found on the grains themselves, and even live on the baker's hands. The bacteria breaks down the grains by producing lactic and aecetic acids, and the yeast produces CO2 which makes the bread rise. This is the way bread was made for all time until the invention of baker's yeast in the 19th century--with the invention of baker's yeast came quick, cheap breads that sacrificed digestibility and nourshment for convinience and profit. 

Is it ALL sourdough? 

Yes. All of Hildy's breads and pastries are long fermented sourdough. We don't do "discard" recipes that only have a portion of sourdough in the mix but also uses unfermented flour. We also don't add any baker's yeast to speed up the process. For maximum digestibility, it all undergoes a natural long fermentation process. 

Organic

For maximum digestibility and nutrition, Hildy's Bread only uses organic flours. Where possible, all other ingredients are also organic. 

How the bread is made: 

Bake Day

Loaves are dusted with rice flour, scored (cut with a razor so the loaves expand and rise during baking), and baked on a stone in a steamed oven. 

After cooling, loaves are bagged up and on their way to the drop. 

Dough Day

Flour, water, salt, and levain (starter) are mixed. Over the next few hours, dough is strengthened through a series of stretches while it ferments at a happy 78 degress. 

After the dough is well fermented and has completed its first rise, it is divided and shaped into individual loaves, then put into the fridge to go through a cold proof (second rise) for 16-18 hrs. During the cold proof, the yeast activity slows down, but the bacteria continue to break down the gluten and produce lactic and aecetic acid (making bread more digestable and flavorful).

Day Before Dough Day

Sourdough starter is refreshed in the morning. Twelve hours later, the levain is built (the starter that will be used in the next day's dough recipe). The levain is left to ferment over night. 

Everyday 

Hildy's sourdough starter is fed a daily ratio of flour and water to keep the living colony of bacterias and yeasts happy and productive. I feed them, and they feed me!