Sourdough Cafe
by: Jar Concengco
With so much time spent at home during the pandemic, many have attempted to make their own sourdough bread. It is not easy. Nor is it something that you can instantly make. Many recipes found online can have you kneading it every thirty minutes for the first two hours and have it rest for another eight. This is all assuming that you already have a starter which can take several more hours or even a couple days. One gains a newfound appreciation for the artisans who do this well for a living. Chef Alvin Ong is one such artisan who set out to bring high quality sourdough closer to the residents of Quezon City.
Inspired by his travels and love for good bread, Ong opened up Sourdough Cafe along Tomas Morato. He offers a 12 hour and 40 hour sourdough, the latter having a deeper and tangier taste. Ong only makes four boules of 40 hour sourdoughs a day and usually are all reserved the day before. His sourdough has a crisp and beautifully blistered crust with an open crumb.
Sourdough bread is made using a starter instead of commercial yeast. The starter is made of flour and water fermented with the natural yeasts found in the air in our environment. This starter is what gives sourdough a complex and unique flavor as yeast in one area can vary from another. Sourdough Cafe’s white flour starter, which they cheekily call “Mother”, is almost 2 years old and is used in making other products such as their pan de sal / sourdough hybrid called pan de sour.
During the lockdown, Ong created two new starters: one using rye called Ryeanna, and the other using wheat called Wheatney. Wheatney is used making a whole wheat sourdough. Ryeanna is used to make their Pain de Campagne and Pain aux Cereales.
During the lockdown, Sourdough Cafe has expanded their pastry line as dine-ins have been limited and foot traffic has come to a halt. Pastries and bread, Ong realized, are items that are harder to recreate at home so people find ordering it from restaurants more convenient. Their ube pan de sour is filled with California Colby Jack Cheese providing a salty savoriness complimenting the bread’s subtle sweetness.
Something new in Sourdough Cafe is their line of Bombolonis or filled Italian Donuts. They have three flavors - Crème Brûlée, White Chocolate Ube, and Double Chocolate. These are great when served to you warm (or you can stick them in the microwave for 10 seconds for a similar effect).
Other non-sourdough offerings are the fragrant rosemary focaccia bread perfect for sandwiches or as an appetizer. For cheesecake lovers, they produce a a great version of the Basque Burnt Cheesecake made famous in the Basque region of Spain by Chef Santiago Rivera. This cheesecake is a crustless cake with a rich, custard like filling which can be ordered whole or by the slice.
Sourdough Cafe is also holding wine and cheese events online where participants receive a box with a variety of cheeses, walnuts, cranberries, sourdough crackers and a bottle of wine. They then meet up online through Zoom where they can meet people with the same passions and discuss their favorite cheese and wine.