Making sourdough bread became popular during the 2020s and the COVID pandemic. At that time, more people were working from home, out of work, or taking time off to homeschool their children. They found that making their sourdough starter and unleavened bread was a fun and healthy way to spend their extra hours at home. Not to mention the fear of food and product shortages that we all experienced. Making bread seemed to be a wise move in case there was a shortage of this dietary staple.
When our lives became more normal post-COVID, many people put away their sourdough supplies, knowing they could find their favorite bread on store shelves. For some reason, people are now dusting off their bannetons and Dutch ovens, and mixing sourdough starters again, according to Eater.com.
Why is Baking Sourdough Bread Popular Again?
There are several reasons why making sourdough bread is popular again. Many people are wary of all the additives in their food, including bread, pastries, pasta, tortillas, and pizza dough. Yes, these are all items that can be made from sourdough starter. By making your own sourdough starter you will know what goes into each of these items, which start with just flour and water (for the dough starter). Sourdough bread is easier on your digestive system too! The yeasts and good bacteria that help your sourdough starter grow are good for your stomach.
Many people also realize that making your sourdough bread is a cost-saving measure, and with grocery prices at an all-time high, this is a welcome relief. Compare a $10-$12 loaf of sourdough artisan bread from a farmers’ market to a $2-$3 loaf of homemade sourdough. It’s a WIN!
Making sourdough bread or many of the other products that you can make with your sourdough starter can be relaxing. Instead of watching the news or worse yet, the stock market reports, you can sit back in your kitchen and feed, knead, and bake wonderful life-sustaining loaves of freshly baked bread with no harmful additives.
One of the most important reasons for baking bread is the excitement of seeing your gloppy dough turn into a wonderful, crispy bread that is soft on the inside and full of little cavernous holes to hold in that melted butter, ghee, jam, or anything else you wish to add to your already superlative creation.
Making Sourdough Bread is Fun and a Learning Experience:
According to TasteofHome.com, it is a fun and rewarding experience. Serving a loaf of homemade bread is a lot of work and seeing all your hard work come to fruition is very rewarding. Making sourdough bread also enables you to use your creativity. You can add a variety of fruits, seeds, nuts, cheese, and meats to your bread. A Parmesan pepperoni loaf or garlic loaf is great with Italian food. Raisin cinnamon bread is a great morning breakfast, and seed/nut bread with cheddar is a great addition to a lunchbox sandwich.
Making sourdough bread is also a learning experience. Bakers that keep up with their sourdough starters will find that different levels of water and flour can create different bread tastes. Different amounts of kneading can change the texture of your bread. The all-important proofing can determine whether your bread rises to the max or flattens out like a pancake. In which case, you can make a delicious flatbread!
Whether you are Martha Stewart, Don Guerrero, or Claudette Rickett Schwartz, nearly every cook has tried their hand at baking bread. And while it can take a home baker a while to learn all the sourdough tricks, it will always be a rewarding experience.
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