Naturally Fermented Sourdough

can’t live without sourdough bread…

I’ve been visiting San Francisco every year since my sister Sarah moved there six years ago. She always takes me to outstanding bakeries when I’m in town: Tartine, The Mill, Andytown, and Pizza Hacker. I didn’t know people were baking on such a high level in the US. I would crave the taste of San Francisco sourdough when I returned to Austin. I became dtermined to bake this wild-fermented bread myself.

I use a combination of the Tartine Country Bread recipe and the knowledge I gained from reading Josey Baker Bread. Shoutout to some amazing bakers in Austin who helped show me the way with their hands-on guidance: Amanda Turner, Abby Love, and Derrick Flynn.

Recent archaeological findings suggest that humans have been baking naturally leavened sourdough breads for at least 14,000 years. Before the invention of agriculture, humans were milling wild grains and seeds with stones, fermenting the dough with wild airborne cultures, and baking sourdough bread. It’s no wonder why we crave the delicious taste and smell of naturally leavened bread.