Our Story

Once upon a time, sourdough bread was simply called ‘bread’.

It was made by hand in small local bakeries, not by machines in huge factories. The flour was grown without chemicals and was stoneground to retain all the nutrients of the grain.

The dough was made with a natural leaven and fermented for long periods to allow ‘good’ bacteria to break down hard-to-digest proteins, such as gluten.

The smell of freshly baked bread wafted from the local bakery as townspeople wandered in for their daily loaf of delicious, satisfying bread.

This is exactly how we, at Penny Olive Sourdough, make bread right here in The Patch (Dandenong Ranges, Victoria).

It’s very old fashioned – but exactly how we like it!

– Penny and Hano

Our Approach

Penny Olive Sourdough is a premium, artisan-made product using the highest quality ingredients available.

Our approach to making bread is the marked opposite of the industrialised approach taken by so many of our food producers. We believe that small scale, localised food production is the best way forward for a healthy community and planet.

Continue reading “Our Approach”

Our Bread

On Saturdays from 9.00am -11.30am, we sell bread, pastries, muffins, tarts, focaccia, pizza bases and more directly from our little bakery in The Patch. We also have a range of freshly milled biodynamic flour available.

Please text 0407870471 for address details.

Pain de Campagne

All stoneground biodynamic flour (sifted wheat, white wheat, wholemeal spelt), Pink Lake salt, filtered water.

​Olive and Rosemary

All stoneground biodynamic flour (sifted wheat, white wheat, wholemeal spelt), Mt Zero organic kalamata olives, organic rosemary, Pink Lake salt, filtered water.

Golden Pumpkin

Stoneground biodynamic white wheat flour, organic roasted pumpkin, Pink Lake salt, filtered water.

Spiced Fruit

All stoneground biodynamic flour (sifted wheat, wholemeal rye), all organic fruit (sultanas, currants, orange zest), all organic spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger), The Patch honey, Pink Lake salt, filtered water.

​Dark Rye

Stoneground biodynamic wholemeal rye flour, Pink Lake salt, filtered water.

New York Rye

All stoneground biodynamic flour (wholemeal rye, sifted wheat), organic caraway seeds, Pink Lake salt, filtered water.

Seedy Oat

All stoneground biodynamic flour (wholemeal wheat, white wheat), all organic seeds (linseed, sunflower, chia, sesame, fennel), biodynamic oats, organic polenta, Pink Lake salt, filtered water.

Meet Our Bakers

Penny learnt the craft of sourdough baking from Les Bartlett at the Crystal Waters Bakery in the Crystal Waters Permaculture Village in South East Queensland.

She undertook a traditional apprenticeship with Les, gaining experience in hand mixing dough, shaping loaves, and of course the benefits of prolonged fermentation and baking in a wood fired oven.

Continue reading “Meet Our Bakers”

Organic Flour Sales

Penny Olive is committed to using Australian grown Biodynamic and Organic ingredients in all of our baked products.

We also make these high quality ingredients available to the public via our Saturday morning Open Bakery (9.30am-12.30am)

Sourdough Bread Classes

Penny Olive Sourdough offer a FULL DAY hands-on sourdough baking classes four times a month on a Sunday.

Our full day class allows you to experience the entire bread making process from mixing your dough, observing and discussing the bulk proofing period, dividing and shaping your dough then baking off your loaves. Few sourdough classes allow the time for this immersive experience.

Small groups up to six can also be catered for by request. Please email hello@pennyolive.com.au to discuss your needs.

The classes provide the necessary knowledge and skill required to create and maintain a starter culture, demonstration and instruction of hand mixing and shaping dough and advice on how to get the best results in your domestic oven. Perfect for those looking to bake bread weekly at home. You will take home a jar of starter and two loaves of your own hand mixed, shaped and baked bread.

Following his class, Ian Kercher kindly wrote, “I found the Sourdough Class was fantastic. I learned a lot about how to make & maintain a starter to provide the basis to making sourdough bread. The instructors Penny & Andrew were great, making the whole experience very worthwhile & enjoyable. Morning tea, lunch, & afternoon tea was awesome & the breaks enabled the group to discuss & obtain more info & tricks while the bread dough we had prepared was proving. Not long after lunch the class was able to shape the dough, score the top of the dough with our own artistic style then bake the bread. The facilities are excellent & situated in a very beautiful area. Well done Penny & Andrew. Regards, Ian Kercher”.

Classes run from 9.15am until 4.30pm and cost $225 pp​ inc GST (maximum 6 participants).

Pizza and Focaccia Classes

Master the art of making two very famous Italian breads!

At this full day, hands on bread course, Andrew “Hano” Hanson will share his knowledge and techniques in making delicious organic sourdough versions of these  two Italian classics.

You will pick, forage and prepare a range of homegrown and organic ingredients to use on your own hand made Pizza and Focaccia.

You’ll learn the art of hand stretching your pizza bases and loading them onto the stone floor of the oven.

You will then bake off your Pizza and Focaccia, before sitting down to a long, lazy lunch featuring your own pizza creations, handpicked salad and a glass of wine (or two) from Penny and Hano’s boutique wine label, Tiny Block Wine.

Take home any left over pizza and a massive slab of focaccia to share with friends and family!

Classes run from 8.30am until 4.00pm and cost $225 pp​ inc GST (maximum 6 participants).