Behind the bread
This website was created to give a breif overview of all things Sourdough. The history, the making and the baking process will be covered within this site. So sit back and enjoy all things Sourdough! Sourdough is old, and I mean ancient. Dating back thousands of years (roughly 5,000 years) to Egypt where an accidental mix of flour and water fermented itself into something magical. That bubbly starter gave birth to the first sourdough bread. The name "sourdough" originates from it's sour taste caused by the lactic acid build up during the fermentation process. Sourdough quickly spread throughout Greece, Rome, and medieval Europe. Bakers cherished this natural yeast, passing down their starters like family heirlooms.
Fast-forward to the mid-1800's Gold Rush: French bakers brought their starters to California, where miners dubbed it "sourdough" due to its tangy flavor. The miners religiously carried them across the frontier. San Fransico, with it's unique wild yeasts (Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis), became the sourdough capital of the world. The city's iconic sourdough bread, with its chewy crust and tangy flavor, is a testament to this rich history. The rise of commercial yeast in the late 19th century pushed sourdough aside, until the late 20th century when artisanal bakers revived it. Today, sourdough is celebrated globally, with bakers experimenting with different flours and techniques. It's not just bread; it's a living tradition, connecting us to our ancestors and the art of baking.