That's the title of an in-depth article at BBC News. Here's an excerpt.
When James W Marshall discovered gold in the hills north of San Francisco in 1848, it sparked a migration of epic proportions. Within a year, tens of thousands of immigrants from both across the country and around the globe had relocated to the Californian city and its surroundings, carrying with them basic necessities like clothing; carpentry tools; and coffee, sugar and flour. However, there was one staple item that would become a part of the city’s history forever: starter for bread.
In a place where nourishment was scarce, bread starter (a dough that has fermented using naturally occurring bacteria and yeast) was a prized possession during the California Gold Rush, allowing miners to turn drab flour into loaves that were both nutritious and delicious. Somehow, the bread tasted tangier and more flavourful than it did elsewhere, and thus San Francisco sourdough was born.
More than 170 years later, San Francisco is synonymous with sourdough bread.
. . .
Rumours often swirl about the city’s relentless fog playing a role in the taste of its sourdough, cultivating a type of wild bacteria that only exists in San Francisco. There’s also the fact that it was California miners making their way to north Alaska and Canada for the Klondike Gold Rush, and bringing their sourdough starters with them, who earned the nickname “sourdoughs”, because they would actually cuddle with their starters on cold nights to keep the yeast active. These men became known for their fresh bread and assured their own nourishment in the process.
Then there’s Boudin Bakery, considered San Francisco’s oldest continuously operating business, which has been churning out loaves of sourdough bread since first opening its doors in 1849 – just one year after Marshall discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill. Founder Isidore Boudin, a French immigrant and bakers’ son, obtained the bakery’s original wild yeast starter from a gold miner, and they’ve been using the same mother dough (another name for sourdough starter) for more than 170 years. An interesting tidbit: it was actually Louise Boudin, wife of the then-late Isidore, who saved Boudin’s mother dough from destruction during San Francisco’s legendary 1906 earthquake.
. . .
But despite all the connections and stories, sourdough isn’t endemic to San Francisco. Actually, it’s one of the oldest bread types – a fermented and leavened dough that dates back at least 4,500 years to ancient Egypt.
There's much more at the link, including a recipe.
Miss D. and I are very fond of sourdough bread, particularly a blend that our local bakery calls "Bay City sourdough", allegedly similar to what you can buy in San Francisco. I don't know about that, but it's certainly got a flavor we enjoy.
If you enjoy cooking, particularly baking, the article has a lot of information about the history and culture of bread-making in San Francisco. It's interesting (and mouth-watering) reading.
Peter
When I lived in?Anchorage, a seafood restaurabt, Simon & Seaforth's, had incredible sourdough bread. When you say down, they brought out the sourdough. Pretty often we stuffed ourselves on bread and took mist if the dinner home.
ReplyDeleteAh yes... Boudin's... There IS something 'different' about the SFO version of sourdough. Always has been.
ReplyDeleteThe bakery is at 10th and Geary. Baking is done at night for sales in the morning. I go by there on the motorcycle in the evenings. The scent is, for want of a better word, magnificent.
ReplyDeleteGenerally I'm not a fan of white bread. Sourdough is an exception to that.
ReplyDeleteGood sourdough bread is my downfall... I can't say no.
ReplyDeleteThis brings to mind the story about the guy who started a sandwich shop in the South Bay, maybe Mt View. Philly Cheesesteaks was the product. He couldn't find rolls that tasted right, and people from the Philly area complained about it. He ended up having rolls made in Philly flown in. I don't think they ever figured out what was different in the rolls. Same ingredients/recipe. The best guess was the water. The sandwiches were as close to home as I've ever found.
ReplyDeleteSourdoughs International (Sourdo.com) offers starts from all over the world. The adventuresome can try bread with a start from someplace new for a lot less than a plane ticket.
ReplyDeleteI keep three that I rotate through regularly - San Francisco, New Zealand, and Finland. My daughters, during their forced time at their homes are giving sourdough bread a whirl too. Generally, we offer sourdough pancakes 8:00 most Sunday mornings, if you're in the neighborhood.
My bride had her starter when we married and it traveled with us throughout my Navy career. On a trip back to the west coast we stopped at my Aunt and Uncle's place in Arkansas. She left some starter with my Aunt when we left. My Uncle discovered it in the fridge some days later and threw it out after tasting it saying "Ugh, that's spoiled!" My Aunt was not pleased.
ReplyDeleteI've tried my hand at sourdough a few times. Never seemed to work out properly. Either too dense or the starter wasn't good. Followed all sorts of directions and tips with no luck. One of these days though I will get it right. Just waiting for the weather to improve so I can get windows open to catch some wild yeast.
ReplyDeleteMom was born and raised in the Santa Cruz area, and one of her prized possessions was the sourdough starter her parents gave her. It was relatively mild and had a complex flavor I haven't found elsewhere. Sad to say, it is no more. Mom was found to be gluten intolerant (she was always on the edge of anemia, the doctors finally figured out why) and my diabetes diet doesn't allow any grains,roots or fruits. The children weren't interested, and I simply forgot about the starter until it was dead.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in SF the sourdough bread was the best I ever had. Go three hours south with the same starter the sourdough it is not as good, but the wine in Paso Robles is better.
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