Micro-bakery founder Sophie Handschuh, known as Sourdough Sophia, has shared her favorite culinary choices, spanning from the best bread for toasting to her preferred indulgent butter and a spicy truffle hot sauce.
For toasting, Handschuh prefers sourdough, especially darker varieties made with older wheat, describing them as crispy on the outside and gooey within. Her choice of butter is The Estate Dairy, which she notes has distinct cultured and fermented notes. When it comes to condiments, Casa Firelli Italian Truffle Hot Sauce is a favorite for its umami flavor. She also highlights Fattoria La Vialla’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil as a nutty, direct-from-Tuscany option.
In terms of meals, Handschuh enjoys the Japanese Italian fusion at Angelina in London for a date night and considers the M&S Beef Shin & Chianti Tortelloni with Belazu Wild Mushroom Pesto a sophisticated ready-meal alternative. For a quick bite, she opts for Honest Burgers, particularly a fried chicken burger with Korean hot sauce, often accompanied by wings and onion rings.
When venturing abroad, Handschuh packs Yorkshire Gold tea, a testament to her adopted British tastes. She also has a fondness for a German pastry called nutty triangles, a shortbread base with apricot jam and a nut caramel topping dipped in chocolate, which she enjoys when visiting Frankfurt.
Her other recommendations include Jai Krishna, a vegetarian Indian restaurant in north London for affordable eats, and the Clifton Village Fish Bar in Bristol for fish and chips. For a more elevated dining experience, she points to The Parakeet pub in Kentish Town for its fire-cooked Sunday roast. Her guilty pleasure is a Lindt Excellence Dark Orange Intense chocolate bar.
Handschuh also shared her favorite drink from Dishoom, a chai that emphasizes spice notes over sweetness. Her most useful kitchen gadget is a Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 Multi-Cooker, which she uses for various cooking functions. For a drink with a view, she recommends the Sundara Beach Club at the Four Seasons Resort in Bali.