The Hills are alive …

Edit 12 . Penny Olive Sourdough - The Patch

The art of sourdough making has been at the heart of culinary tradition and human connection for centuries. The smell of freshly baked bread evokes nostalgia, comfort, warmth, and contentment. These same feelings describe Penny Olive and her little bakery tucked away in the quiet streets of The Patch, high in the Dandenong Ranges — a hidden treasure for locals and those who love artisan sourdough.

Penny’s love for bread began while travelling through South East Queensland. At the Crystal Waters Permaculture Village, she undertook a traditional apprenticeship at the Crystal Waters Bakery under the guidance of Les Bartlett. There she learned the craft of hand‑mixing dough, shaping loaves, and the long-lasting benefits of slow fermentation.

When she returned to Victoria, Penny continued to refine her skills — stone‑milling grains in the King Valley, crafting French‑style pastries and cakes in Wye River, and eventually realising her dream of running her own organic sourdough café. She brought that dream to life with the Warburton Trail Café in Mt Evelyn, which she and her family ran for several years. After welcoming her daughter in 2015, Penny chose to sell the café to focus on family life.

But her passion for baking never faded. Together with her partner Hano, they transformed a shed on their property into a micro‑bakery where production is intentionally small‑scale, using only biodynamic, locally sourced ingredients. Whenever possible, Penny mills her flour on-site. Every loaf is mixed by hand, no industrial mixers, ensuring each one is thoughtfully and carefully crafted.

Today, Penny and Hano offer full‑day, intimate sourdough and pizza‑making classes. She shares her knowledge of organic and biodynamic ingredients, hand‑mixing and shaping techniques, and everything home bakers need to achieve consistent, delicious results.

You can book your class at pennyolive.com.au, or contact Penny & Hano on 0400 736 698.

@pennyolivesourdough