David Tamarkin

Our friend Lucas Volger wrote a Substack newsletter about our sourdough granola recipe, where we use sourdough culture to create a super crispy granola that needs less sugar because the sourdough is the thing that's making it crisp and binding it all together. So there's so many places that sourdough can go. And I think we're just getting started.

Our friend Lucas Volger wrote a Substack newsletter about our sourdough granola recipe, where we use sourdough culture to create a super crispy granola that needs less sugar because the sourdough is the thing that's making it crisp and binding it all together. So there's so many places that sourdough can go. And I think we're just getting started.

obsessed with night moves.

obsessed with night moves.

Yeah. It's a powerful ingredient. I think one of the things I love about sourdough is that it is function and flavor, and you can choose to take advantage of both those things or just one of them. Obviously, it has leavening power. Obviously, it has flavor. But if you use a young sourdough starter for some of these, quote unquote, discard recipes, you're not going to get any of that flavor at all.

Yeah. It's a powerful ingredient. I think one of the things I love about sourdough is that it is function and flavor, and you can choose to take advantage of both those things or just one of them. Obviously, it has leavening power. Obviously, it has flavor. But if you use a young sourdough starter for some of these, quote unquote, discard recipes, you're not going to get any of that flavor at all.

And that's maybe what you want, but it has the function, as you said. It's another way to get hydration and flour into your recipe. I bring that up because I'm actually beginning to dislike the term discard recipe. Because I think we should be thinking about sourdough as an ingredient that goes beyond bread.

And that's maybe what you want, but it has the function, as you said. It's another way to get hydration and flour into your recipe. I bring that up because I'm actually beginning to dislike the term discard recipe. Because I think we should be thinking about sourdough as an ingredient that goes beyond bread.

And it sort of sounds dismissive, like you would only make these brownies if you're using sourdough discard. When in fact, you could be building a sourdough starter specifically to make those brownies because you like the flavor of those brownies. Or because you like what it does in the lemon loaf that we just put on our site recently.

And it sort of sounds dismissive, like you would only make these brownies if you're using sourdough discard. When in fact, you could be building a sourdough starter specifically to make those brownies because you like the flavor of those brownies. Or because you like what it does in the lemon loaf that we just put on our site recently.

So I think expanding our idea of what sourdough culture is even for is an exciting new terrain for sourdough. Although I know today we're pretty much sticking to sourdough bread.

So I think expanding our idea of what sourdough culture is even for is an exciting new terrain for sourdough. Although I know today we're pretty much sticking to sourdough bread.

Literal years of our lives.

Literal years of our lives.

Today we're sticking to sourdough bread because that's how most people get into sourdough. And when we called for questions about sourdough, 90% of the questions were about bread. So we're going to bring in one of our amazing colleagues, Amber Eisler. Amber Eisler, King Arthur's Director of Baking Education, was also a bread baker in our bakery for five years.

Today we're sticking to sourdough bread because that's how most people get into sourdough. And when we called for questions about sourdough, 90% of the questions were about bread. So we're going to bring in one of our amazing colleagues, Amber Eisler. Amber Eisler, King Arthur's Director of Baking Education, was also a bread baker in our bakery for five years.

And she's been teaching at our baking school for over 15 years. In other words, she knows a lot about making great bread, particularly sourdough bread. Amber, thanks for coming on the podcast.

And she's been teaching at our baking school for over 15 years. In other words, she knows a lot about making great bread, particularly sourdough bread. Amber, thanks for coming on the podcast.

My first question for you, Amber, is what are you seeing in your sourdough baking school classes these days? Has there been any shift in students' interest or knowledge of sourdough in the last few years?

My first question for you, Amber, is what are you seeing in your sourdough baking school classes these days? Has there been any shift in students' interest or knowledge of sourdough in the last few years?