Sourdough bread has exploded in popularity in recent years. With its crispy crust, distinct smell, and slightly tangy flavour, it has become a firm favourite across the UK.
For some, it is the preserve of hipsters and bread snobs while, for home bakers, perfecting a sourdough loaf in your own kitchen is the pinnacle of bread making. I should know – I have had the same sourdough starter for eight years now. A present on the opening night of a new restaurant, I spent about four years butchering every sourdough recipe going before I finally found a winning formula.
Thanks to my years of trial and error, I like to think I know a bit about sourdough these days. That is why I decided to try out a couple of well-known stores to see what their offerings were like.
At the more expensive end of the market was Marks & Spencer’s San Francisco-style Sourdough. Made with 30-year-old sourdough starter, it cost £2 – although it was on offer, down 50p from its usual price of £2.50. At 400g, it costs £5 per kg.
I put it up against Lidl’s simply named Large White Sourdough Loaf. At just £1.99p for a 600g loaf, it comes in at 3.33p per kg, so noticeably cheaper than the M&S offering. So, is the M&S worth the price difference? I tried the Lidl loaf first, and what struck me immediately was how pleasingly crispy the crust was. This is one of the key things that helps sourdough stand out from normal bread, and I was pleased to see it.
Slicing it open, it also had the distinct sourdough aroma – perhaps not quite as punchy as my own bread, but still unmistakably there. I did think the bread was a little on the ‘tight’ side though, meaning it was a bit dense and could have been a bit lighter. I tried it both raw and toasted and, I have to say, I was impressed. The sourdough tang was there, the crust was beautiful, and it toasted up wonderfully.
My one complaint was that it was lacking a bit of salt. I know the health police might come after me, but salt in bread is essential to really maximise its flavour.
Gordon Ramsay says you can tell if bread has enough salt using your nose the moment you cut it open, without even tasting it. Using salted butter on it helped, but it just did not quite pack the flavour punch that I was looking for.
Onto the M&S loaf and, once again, it had a beautiful crust on it. I had bought both loaves pretty early in the morning to make sure I had fresh bread and neither of them disappointed. It was slightly darker too.
Again, it packed a really pleasing sourdough aroma and, crucially, it was just a bit lighter and not as tight as the Lidl version. I suppose these are the marginal gains you are looking for at that price point, so hats off to M&S. To taste, it carried just that little bit more of a tang than the Lidl alternative. If I am honest, neither one was quite as punchy as I would have liked, although I have been told my starter gives a real kick so perhaps that is what I am used to.
Sourdough is known to produce great toast and, once again the M&S loaf just edged it. Its sourdough flavour carried over brilliantly and the crispy crust and lightness meant it was a delight to enjoy slathered with butter. Once again though, it lacked salt. I don’t know if I add too much and have become desensitised, but both loaves could have really been elevated with a slightly more generous salting. Not great for the blood pressure, I know, but who eats bread to be healthy?
All in all, I was impressed with both, and there really was not much to separate the two. I have to be honest, the M&S loaf did just edge it thanks to a lighter crumb and more of a sourdough tang, but the Lidl loaf ran it very close.
If I did not make my own bread, then yes, I would buy the M&S loaf as I think sourdough is a treat to be enjoyed and – as a bread fanatic – it is worth the extra money. If I did not have an M&S nearby though – or I was watching the pennies – I would more than happily make do with the Lidl version. Just a bit more salt though next time, please.
