Author Overview

Title: Sourdough Baker, Recipe Developer & Food Photographer

Expertise: Sourdough baking, step-by-step sourdough tutorials and recipes, fitting sourdough into busy schedules, helping home bakers find their sourdough rhythm.

Favorite Sourdough Flavor: I can never get enough of this sourdough coffee & maple loaf and this sourdough Italian herb and cheese!

Photo of Kate Freebairn from The Pantry Mama standing behind her kitchen counter with 2 loaves of sourdough bread in front of her.

About Kate

I’m a passionate self-taught sourdough baker and food photographer, based in Western Australia with my husband, our three boys, and our Groodle, Duke. Since 2019, I’ve been sharing approachable sourdough tutorials and recipes, helping thousands of home bakers around the world gain confidence in their kitchens. Along the way, I’ve built a vibrant sourdough community of more than 500,000 people across social media and email, who share the same love for baking real bread.

My Expertise

I’m a self-taught baker with over 10 years of experience nurturing my sourdough starter and exploring everything there is to know about this fascinating little colony in a jar. What started as curiosity has grown into a true passion for creating approachable, reliable sourdough recipes.

As a busy mom, I know how hectic life can be (which is why I love sharing my sourdough secrets for busy moms)—but I also believe it’s still possible to nourish your family with wholesome, homemade sourdough bread. That’s why I write my recipes to be as clear and flexible as possible, offering simple instructions, stand mixer options, and practical ways to fit sourdough into even the busiest schedules.

Before I went all in on The Pantry Mama, I gained a BA from the University of Western Australia, majoring in Anthropology and Italian Language. I forged a career in human resources and people management, before having my family and starting The Pantry Mama.

My Sourdough Journey

My love of food began as a teenager living in Northern Italy, where I first learned not only how to cook—but how to truly enjoy food. It was there that I fell in love with focaccia and pasta, flavors that would later inspire me to create my own sourdough versions (check out my sourdough focaccia bread recipe and sourdough pasta recipe).

In my early twenties, I started baking bread at home, but my passion really took root after I met my husband and we moved to a remote mining community where fresh bread wasn’t easy to come by. What began as a necessity quickly became a calling, and from there I threw myself into learning the art of making bread—one loaf at a time.

My sourdough journey has seen me win first prize for my sourdough bread in our local agricultural show, share hundreds of jars of my sourdough starter with people interested in baking their own sourdough and writing a series of ebooks about making sourdough that have sold over 7000 copies.

Favorite Recipes

Sourdough really is my love language! If you ever visit me at home (be sure to dodge the Nerf bullets as you come in) and bring a bag, because you're sure to be leaving with some delicious sourdough goodies! Here are some of my favorite sourdough recipes that I hope you'll love too!

From the sourdough pizza dough that I bake for my family in our woodfired pizza oven every Saturday night, to the sourdough caramel slice I made at least once a week, you are sure to love these sourdough recipes, straight from my kitchen to yours.

Let’s Connect


Brand New To Sourdough

Create Your Own Sourdough Starter

Learn how to easily create & nurture your very own sourdough starter so you can start making delicious sourdough bread.

Get The Recipe →