Sourdough is the new/old trend that has many millennials hooked.

What is it about bread making that has so many diving deep into the world of sourdough?

Here are some theoretical thoughts I have as I also caught the bug, and I have been making sourdough for 2 years now.

For me it started with my youngest son’s allergies. He was 6 months old and diagnosed with peanut/dairy allergies. As a 4th time mom, this still caught me off guard. I began to think of things to help make this still feel special and landed on bread. I became obsessive about mastering this starter, and created daily routines around this bread.

Looking back, I now recognize that it was a symbol of control. I would make bread everyday trying again and again. So many bad loaves of bread in the pursuit of my own version of control. With my son’s allergies, I felt so helpless to help him. So I threw myself into sourdough.

How many of us need something to control when we feel out of control?

Sourdough offers a rhythm and focuses on a simple recipe: flour and water. The daily routine of feeding, stretching, and baking provides me with tasks to center my mind. When my thoughts wander to stress, I return to the dough. Time and again, it helps ground me in the present moment. It gives me purpose in overwhelming times.

What I know is we all need tools to keep us centered and at times it can come in forms that we never expected.

At least this tool is delicious.

My favorite sourdough recipe:

200 g starter

650 g water

950 all purpose flour

20g of salt

(makes 2 loaves)

Happy baking!