Overview
About the event
Dating back to 1500 BC, sourdough bread was enjoyed by the ancient Egyptians. In fact, it was the only form of �??leavened�?� bread that was possible to make during those times, until commercial yeast became available a few hundred years ago.
Since it contains a live culture (unlike dry yeast), sourdough bread is made from a �??starter�?? that has been saved from a previous batch and left to ferment. The starter must be �??fed�?? with flour and watered every week, it can simply be left at room temperature to grow until it is ready to be used again in another loaf of bread.
In 1849, during the Gold Rush of California, sourdough bread became a staple in the area around San Francisco. Miners liked it because it was durable and the bread became very popular in the newly settled state.
Every September since 2013 has been known as Sourdough September. Even though this month might just have a very short history so far, it has certainly grown in popularity over just the few years it has been in existence.
Dubbing September as Sourdough Month was the brainchild of the Real Bread Campaign, who are trying to spread knowledge of all things bread. Their purpose is to help households all over the world to be less likely to rely on factory made and processed loaves of bread (i.e. filled with preservatives) from their local supermarket.
