Sour Yard: The Micro Bakery Specialising in Everything Sourdough

Thankfully, though, our friendly neighbourhood photographer/model Ramy Rainier has taken it upon himself to brave the life-threatening perils of sourdough and repopulate our depraved palates with real sourdough bread that is both easy on the stomach and perfectly complements your cottagecore fantasies. 

After getting introduced to the concept of a bread - raised by the cumulative power of good bacteria - a long-lost baker spawned in the heart of Ramy and he found himself tiptoeing down the sourdough road, feeding his very first starter copious amounts of water and yeast to bring it to life. With imminent dedication, a ton of passion and (probably) the well-bidding of his mother, he brought the starter to life, baking the carb-y treat for those he loved most.

Soon after, though, it dawned on him to share the benevolence of bread with other Cairenes, especially considering the bittersweet scarcity of sourdough in Egypt. Rainier got to work, meticulously piecing together a micro bakery from the comfort of his basement, even going as far as building a dome-shaped wood fired oven, like the one our ancestors artisanally used for decades. 

The baking process became Ramy’s lifestyle. “I like challenges. This is why I got into sourdough - the same reason I chose to delve into film photography instead of digital,” Rainier tells #SceneEats. “The more challenging something is, the more it compels me to grow.”

The lifestyle choice morphed into a therapeutic outlet that shaped and moulded (pun intended) the budding baker. “There’s something about getting lost in the process and the music that is almost otherworldly. It’s become more of a meditation process than a means to an end.”

Plus, there’s nothing quite like an unsolicited review from people enjoying the craft you invest your blood, sweat and tears into. Sour Yard’s perfectly crafted plain, thyme, rosemary or multigrain loaves have garnered lots of love, however customers wished to eat them the Ramy way, dipped in a delectable mix of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper. “A little warning, though: once you go sourdough, you can’t go back to yeast.”

The future of Sour Yard, as foretold by our sourdough-cleared-third-eye baker, includes the development of the cloud service into more of a micro-bakery, with some of our favourite treats - les croissants, anyone? - being baked the sourdough way. 

For orders, visit Ramy at Sour Yard on Instagram, where you can also find everything you need to know about the bread beforehand.