Sourdough is on the rise in the Bay Area

The Bay Area is known not just for tech companies and foggy mornings, but also for something much tastier: sourdough. Sourdough is one of the most popular breads and is one of the only breads that uses lactic acid bacteria to rise. Because of this use of bacteria, certain environments help it grow better, which can result in a better taste. This is where San Francisco comes in. With its fog and cold temperatures, this provides a long, slow fermentation process, which is essential for the bacteria to develop deep, complex acids. 

Some teachers at San Marin make sourdough, one of which is English teacher Ryan Berberian. He also knows a lot about the makeup of the bread.

“It’s a living yeast colony rather than the dried yeast packets that you would make other bread with,” Berberian said.

Sourdough in San Francisco dates all the way back to the Gold Rush in 1848. For many, the sourdough starter served as a lifeline for these desperate miners. Because of the rising population, inflation on food was climbing very fast to the point where one single egg could cost up to $3 (roughly $125 in 2026). This drastic increase resulted in most bakery owners and mechanics striking for more riches than most miners. Since the miners moved to the Bay Area, they found that their bread had a sharper taste, nothing like they had ever tasted. The miners quickly began to believe that this taste could not be recreated anywhere else, so much so that the bacteria used in sourdough loaves all across the world, Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis, was named after the City by the Bay.

Recently, sourdough has been making a comeback in society and becoming a staple in most bakeries in Northern California. Baking sourdough as a hobby took off during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. There were many reasons to support the growth of this cultural phenomenon. First, there was a national yeast shortage following the early months of lockdown. Sourdough became the “survivalist” solution because it did not require any yeast to make. Another reason was the thought of having a “Pandemic Pet.” Because the owner of the starter has to constantly be feeding it and taking care of it, people started to treat their starters as pets, going as far as naming them things such as Bread Pitt, Mr. Yeast, Toast Malone, Vladimir Gluten, et cetera. The act of creating something out of nothing inspired people to spread the word of making sourdough. The pandemic also brought with it a lot of endless hours. Since sourdough takes lots of time to create from scratch, people were hardly ever able to fit it into their busy lives; however, when COVID hit, people had lots more time to make things such as sourdough bread.

Another plus to making fresh sourdough is its health benefits. Sourdough bread has prebiotics, which are very beneficial for your gut microbiome. Adding these factors to the already great taste of the bread is just a perfect recipe for success and growth in popularity. Sophomore Chase Cloney said these are some of the reasons he chooses to make sourdough.

“I’ve been making sourdough for about three years,” Cloney said. “I have always been invested in eating healthy and as naturally as possible. Thus, making bread from scratch and eating it fresh seemed very appealing to me. Now, nearly all the bread I eat [is bread] I make, and it saves money, along with being healthier.”

From 19th-century miners to 21st-century students, sourdough remains a staple of the Northern California identity. Sourdough is a fun way to be engaged with your society and use the environmental advantages where we live.