The Mother Is the Method — Our New Motherdough Home in Jonkershoek

Nestled between the stillness of the Jonkershoek mountains and the rhythm of cyclists gliding past on gravel roads, something beautiful is rising.We’ve opened a new chapter — Motherdough Jonkershoek — our latest panetteria on Arkelshoek Farm, a place where mountain air meets slow living, and where our bread finds its perfect home.

A New Beginning in the Valley

This new space feels like a breath of peace. Cross the little yellow wooden bridge and follow a flower-lined path toward the heart of the garden, where herbs, vegetables, and fruit trees quietly grow. It’s a space designed to slow you down — to make you stay a little longer, sip your coffee a little slower, and reconnect with nature and good food.

Jonkershoek is more than a new location. It’s our “agriturismo moment,” a celebration of where the land, the loaf, and the people come together.

The Mother Is the Method

At Motherdough, bread is not just something we bake — it’s something we believe in. Every loaf, pastry, panino, and pizza base begins with Alfonsina, our 106-year-old pasta madre from Clusone, Italy. She’s alive, ancient, and extraordinary — and at the heart of everything we do.

We work only with natural fermentation — no shortcuts, no commercial yeast, and no additives. Just time, temperature, and the slow rhythm of good breadmaking. Because for us, the mother is the method.

A Place to Eat, Rest, and Breathe

Inside and out, the new Jonkershoek home reflects our way of baking: calm, intentional, and connected to the earth. Guests can choose to sit inside, on the veranda, or outside among the basil, rocket, and young tomato vines. The air carries the scent of espresso and toasted sourdough.

The shelves and counter are filled with our favourites — rustic loaves, bomboloni (brioche doughnuts), golden cornetti, panini piled high with Italian fillings, and our much-loved grilled cheese toasties.

Exclusive to Jonkershoek, soon you’ll also find picnic platters with local cheeses, Italian meats, homemade preserves, crackers, and our own olive oil — all served with fresh bread, of course.

Coming Soon: Pizza Romana & Fermented Drinks

We’re excited to introduce a weekend offering of Pizza Romana “a mattarello” — light, thin-based pizza made with our Alfonsina-leavened dough and simple, honest toppings.

And because fermentation is the heartbeat of Motherdough, we’re also crafting a new line of small-batch fermented drinks — naturally alive, layered, and seasonal.Nothing artificial. Just time, nature, and flavour.

From Lockdown Loaf to Living Legacy

Motherdough began as a lockdown project — a small, hopeful idea to help people bake real bread at home. Today, we have three thriving shops across the Cape Winelands — Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, and now Jonkershoek — all connected by one philosophy: to bake better bread, every day.

Our loaves are born from local stone-ground flours, ethical dairy, free-range eggs, and the finest olive oils from neighbouring farms — all guided by Alfonsina’s gentle magic.

As Lance Littlefield often says,

“Eat proper bread. Our mother is our method — she’s all we need.”

Find us:📍 Arkelshoek Farm, Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch🕖 Open daily 7:30 am – 4 pm (Sundays until 3 pm)