Food Lens · Bakery
Sourdough
Tangy and slightly sour, with a chewy, dense-yet-open crumb.
Lens analyzedSourdough is bread leavened with a naturally fermented starter of flour and water instead of commercial yeast, giving it a tangy flavor and a chewier, more open crumb. The long fermentation also produces a thicker, crackly crust compared to most sandwich breads.
Where it comes from
Sourdough predates commercial yeast by thousands of years, since wild fermentation was the only leavening method available before packaged yeast existed. San Francisco became especially associated with the style during the California Gold Rush, when bakers there began cultivating and passing down distinct sourdough starters.
Buying it
Look for a thick, deeply browned crust and an open, irregular crumb with visible air holes, both signs of proper fermentation. A loaf that feels dense and uniform inside was likely made with shortcuts rather than a true long ferment.
Storing it
Keep sourdough at room temperature in a paper bag or bread box and use within about five days, since the thick crust actually helps it resist staling faster than plastic-wrapped bread would.
Keeps about 5 days in the pantry.
Recipes that use sourdough
More bakery
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