Why Sourdough?

If you are in your 30-40s and you haven’t heard of sourdough, then you must be living far far away from social media... aka living under a rock. The sourdough trend has fully taken hold of the majority of us millennials. Guess what… I’m totally here for it. I know there are some skeptics or even some annoyed by it all. Some people will be resistant to trends. But I’m here to tell you, this isn’t a trend. Sourdough is how bread has always been made throughout history. This is an awakening of some deep-down piece of our very own humanity. Sourdough is having its moment and if you haven’t given it a shot by either making it or just adding it to your diet, consider this your sign “to jump on” the sourdough train.

Firstly, sourdough bread is the healthiest bread you can eat. The cold fermentation process of the wild yeast that makes true sourdough bread is unmatched. It is lower in gluten and will give you a lower glucose spike. Plus it is clean and not full of junk ingredients. Whether you make it yourself or not, there are so many great bakeries around baking real sourdough. Remember to read the ingredients when buying, your bread should only be 4 ingredients. Flour, Water, Salt, Starter (sometimes not mentioned). In the 19th century, the development of different yeasts created a quicker way for bakers to make breads. Today, commercial bread is chalk full of preservatives and even seed oils. The gluten is high because it’s a quick yeast bread. The list goes on. Sourdough bread will always be the healthier option of the two.

Secondly, baking your own sourdough or supporting your friend who bakes it, ultimately is an act of taking your power back. In our world, we are dependent on our outsourced food supply more than ever. If you can’t buy it, the odds are most people won’t be making it. This is ultimately bad for ones health, and you lose control of the food you’re consuming and feeding to your family. Take that power back!! These big food companies are using chemical ridden crops. Glyphosate, a compound being the biggest culprit, not to mention again the preservatives and seed oils. When the company who owns the pesticides, oddly enough owns the other company that treats that disease the chemical creates?? Fishy am I right? So take that power back. Source your own flour from a local vendor or get a flour mill and mill your own wheat. We have control of what we feed our families!! Sourdough is ultimately a skill. This skill has been around for thousands of years and I truly believe we are getting back to what serves us best as humans trying to live healthy lives. Convenience is great and all, but at what cost. Also I just love the fact if a zombie apocalypse ever happened, I could be whipping up some bomb ass sourdough bread with just some flour, water and salt because I know I can make a starter :) It’s a skill and we need to spread this knowledge to the masses and teaching our children these life preserving skills.

My favorite part about sourdough, it sparks joy and creativity!!! This has personally been my favorite part of my own sourdough journey. I get to be creative and experiment. We as human beings are meant to be using our hands and creating things that nurture ourselves. We are all trapped behind screens all day and not tapping into that side of ourselves. Sourdough is the perfect outlet for trying new things. Once you have a starter and you understand how it can work for you, the sky is the limit. You can bake anything with sourdough! The joy of giving a friend a loaf of bread is such a bright warm feeling. Experimenting with something new or if your family loves that new inclusion. Or the feeling you get when you give a friend their first starter. The reward of baking sourdough goes beyond the bread itself.

I know the sourdough world can be quite overwhelming. There is so much information and different things to comb through out there, where do you start? You start right here right now by reading this. Sourdough can be intimidating when you see all these amazing loaves on the internet and the one you made isn’t that. There is a learning curve, yes! Sourdough is not about perfection; it’s about just doing it and eating it! They call it a journey for a reason, take it as far as you want. I made some loaves for Christmas last year and they turned out flat because I was under fermented. My kitchen was too cold during my bulk ferment. Don’t let these things discourage you. You learn! You figure it out. You also can make it fit your schedule. Want to bake once a month? Do you travel a lot? Make it work for you and take the pressure off. It’s joyful remember :)

I will end my little sourdough soapbox right here. I could continue with even more reasons why this has been such a game-changer in my life. Sounds silly I know, but I will be a little old lady one day in the kitchen whipping up some bread, God willing. We need to not lose that piece of ourselves and our history in this ever-changing world. I dedicate my very first blog to all the grandmothers, mothers & aunts whose cooking has shaped us all. May we commit to keeping their traditions and recipes alive for generations to come.

Stay human.

Written by Brittney Felix

February 26th, 2025