Bread has long been a staple of the human diet, even before leavening was discovered, people baked flat breads that were essential to survival. Sourdough has roots in ancient Egypt where the understanding of fermentation can be found in records of beer and bread production. Sourdough being used in both cases.
How sourdough got its start
Around 800 BC, the Greeks learned how to use sourdough from the Egyptians. From there, sourdough spread across Europe as the years marched on. Sourdough appears in recipes throughout history, including 14th century Germany when monasteries began using sourdough to produce bread and beer and in 17th century France where sourdough was king before commercial yeast was introduced in the 1900s and the baguette became faster to produce and gained popularity.
Sourdough goes westward
Meanwhile, in America, the use of sourdough was crucial to westward expansion. Settlers in California and Alaska used sourdough as a primary source of food. They kept their sourdough starter in tins and slept with it to keep it warm, which prevented the natural yeast from dying. Thanks to sourdough, these Americans who shaped the history of our country, could eat even when they could not find a town to purchase supplies in.
San Francisco is home to the longest continuous sourdough bread bakeries in the U.S. One of the most famous - Boudin - was founded in 1849 and you can still enjoy a fresh sourdough loaf from there today. As in Europe, the speed associated with regular yeast commercialization of food production led to a decrease in the use of sourdough over time.
Back in the spotlight
Sourdough saw a resurgence of popularity in 2020 during the pandemic when many people began baking their own bread at home. The history of sourdough is certainly a long one and one that will, no doubt, continue to rise.
