If bread could speak, our sourdough would tell stories of patience, care, and legacy. At Choquera, sourdough is not a trend — it is our daily ritual, our philosophy, and the heartbeat of our bakery.

We begin with our masa madre, a non-yeast starter that I created in 2018, nurtured for years in my kitchens in Ireland. It now lives in the heart of Choquera, lovingly fed with a mix of International organic flours we import from Wales. Every morning, before the sun rises over Newport, we feed our madre and listen — not with our ears, but with our senses. Is she bubbling? Is the aroma right? She tells us when she’s ready.

Our process takes three full days, and we never rush it. We mix, autolyse, fold, bulk ferment, and then rest the dough overnight in cool conditions to develop that deep tang, blistered crust, and open crumb. It’s a living process — affected by weather, water quality, and even the mood of the baker.

We shape our loaves with purpose: round boules for everyday slicing, batards for table service, and focaccia baked in olive oil for our bistro. We serve sourdough warm with our Andalusian olive oils, toasted for brunch, or topped with Jamón Ibérico and roasted peppers at events. It anchors our identity, binding Irish terroir with Spanish soul.

Sourdough isn’t just bread here. It’s a story of slowness, of wild nature harnessed gently, and of honouring both place and past. And when you slice into one of our loaves, that story continues — one crumb at a time.