Sean started growing his sourdough starter 4 years ago and has been making delicious bread ever since.

History of the sourdough starter by Sean: My sourdough starter is almost four and a half years old. I like telling its history because it’s bound up in how I ended up moving to Sydney and starting my PhD. In 2008, while I was living in Wellington, I came to Sydney to see some friends of mine for a holiday. One of my favourite lecturers, Marion Maddox, from my time as an undergraduate had recently moved to Sydney to take up a job at Macquarie University. I emailed Marion to see if I could stop by the university and say hi. As she’d moved, I had to search online to find her new email address, and one of the things that turned up in my Google search was an article in a New Zealand magazine called The Listener, which featured a story about Marion’s own sourdough and a recipe for English muffins.

The article intrigued me so I made the muffins using commercial yeast—mainly for fun, but also because I realized that although she had been one of my favourite teachers, we hadn’t ever actually had many long conversations, and I thought the recipe would be useful to get the conversation going again in the event we hit a lull.

From memory, it wasn’t long until I started talking about my first foray into English muffin territory… In the midst of the conversation, provided me with two pieces of advice: One was that I ought to make my own sourdough rather than rely on commercial yeast. The other was that I should apply for a scholarship to do my PhD with her in Sydney.

When I returned to Wellington I did both, and ended up returning to Sydney in 2009 with both a scholarship and little jar of starter that fortunately made it through quarantine, and which remains in my fridge today.





This dough mix makes 2 loaves – one plain and one with toppings.

Who: Sean Durbin

Sean Durbin Home is: Redfern

Redfern Family origin: New Zealand/USA

New Zealand/USA I can’t live without my: Books and kitchen knives

Books and kitchen knives Occupation: PhD Candidate

PhD Candidate Dream job: Professor

Professor Childhood taste: Macaroni and cheese

Macaroni and cheese I will always have in my pantry: Salt

Salt The one place I must visit: My Aunt and Uncle’s house in New Zealand during the holidays

My Aunt and Uncle’s house in New Zealand during the holidays Go to meal: Leek and potato soup

Leek and potato soup 3 Unforgettable meals: 1. Roti Chennai, Satay Kingdom, Wellington; 2. First meat pie, Wairarapa, New Zealand; 3. Deep fried catfish with jalapeño corn bread and macaroni and cheese, Memphis, Tennessee

1. Roti Chennai, Satay Kingdom, Wellington; 2. First meat pie, Wairarapa, New Zealand; 3. Deep fried catfish with jalapeño corn bread and macaroni and cheese, Memphis, Tennessee Perfect night in/out: In – Cooking dinner for my friends. Out – Eating dinner and drinking beer with my friends

In – Cooking dinner for my friends. Out – Eating dinner and drinking beer with my friends My piece of Sydney: My house

My house I do my groceries at: local supermarket and veggie shop around the corner

local supermarket and veggie shop around the corner Guilty pleasure: Terrible movies

Terrible movies Who does the dishes: Whoever doesn’t cook