Sourdough’s Just Not That Damn Complicated
From Starter to Finish: Everything You Need to Know to Make Sourdough Bread
One of COVID’s strangest side effects is the massive uptick in people baking sourdough bread. Google’s annual trend report noted an 800% increase in searches for “sourdough bread,” making it the most searched for recipe of 2020. As its hipness skyrocketed, so did all the douchey stuff that typically accompanies hipness and hipsters, including countless testimonials about the intricacies and artisanship involved in making a loaf of bread.
I grew up in Idaho in the 1970s and my mom, like most moms I knew, had a jar of starter in the fridge. By the time I was six or seven years old, I was thoroughly versed in the simple task of turning something that’s basically half-completed bread dough into bread.
To some, it’s a special little snowflake that must be treated with incredible care or it will melt. To others, it’s like a pet that needs your constant love and affection. It’s not. It’s water and flour and a bunch of yeast and bacteria that like living in flour but start a 24/7 rave if you add more flour and water.
It Starts with the Starter
Obviously sourdough bread itself starts with the starter, hence the name. Something else starts with the starter, too — the douchiness…
