Jessica Badalana

And me, Jessica Batalana.

Things that get better with age. Women, cheese, wine.

Things that get better with age. Women, cheese, wine.

But sourdough starter?

But sourdough starter?

And I'm Jessica Badalana, staff editor at King Arthur Baking. And today we're talking about a topic that elicits a lot of passion and curiosity, as well as frustration, hope, and toast. We're talking about sourdough, specifically the state of sourdough right now.

And I'm Jessica Badalana, staff editor at King Arthur Baking. And today we're talking about a topic that elicits a lot of passion and curiosity, as well as frustration, hope, and toast. We're talking about sourdough, specifically the state of sourdough right now.

Last October, I buckled my sourdough starter into the car and I brought it to our studio in New Hampshire because we were photographing the big book of bread and we wanted to show starter at different stages. So we wanted to show one that was tragically neglected and I volunteered to let mine be the tragically underfed. So I just ignored it for months leading up to this shoot.

Last October, I buckled my sourdough starter into the car and I brought it to our studio in New Hampshire because we were photographing the big book of bread and we wanted to show starter at different stages. So we wanted to show one that was tragically neglected and I volunteered to let mine be the tragically underfed. So I just ignored it for months leading up to this shoot.

And then at the end of the shoot, my colleague, Melanie Wanders, who was the co-author of the book, was like, nope, start over. So she gave me some of her starter. And there's a piece of masking tape on it. And it's called Jessica's Jazzy Starter 2.0. But that's, yeah, Jessica's Jazzy Starter.

And then at the end of the shoot, my colleague, Melanie Wanders, who was the co-author of the book, was like, nope, start over. So she gave me some of her starter. And there's a piece of masking tape on it. And it's called Jessica's Jazzy Starter 2.0. But that's, yeah, Jessica's Jazzy Starter.

I just never named it. I don't name cars. I don't name sourdough starters.

I just never named it. I don't name cars. I don't name sourdough starters.

Well, it's interesting that you say that because my childhood cat growing up was named White Cat. And it was the daughter of another cat that we'd had whose name was? Black Cat.

Well, it's interesting that you say that because my childhood cat growing up was named White Cat. And it was the daughter of another cat that we'd had whose name was? Black Cat.

Oh, nice.

Oh, nice.

I love that. And I think that is why this topic today, I mean, it's such a huge topic, right? Like we're just going to scratch the surface because there are so many different, you know, aspects to sourdough baking. But I think one thing we know is that it's still very popular. Extremely popular and for good reason.

I love that. And I think that is why this topic today, I mean, it's such a huge topic, right? Like we're just going to scratch the surface because there are so many different, you know, aspects to sourdough baking. But I think one thing we know is that it's still very popular. Extremely popular and for good reason.

Though it's been around for thousands of years, I feel like it really took the pandemic for sourdough to enter mainstream culture in the way that it did. I think that was a period of time when every person you knew, and maybe a lot of our listeners too, started a sourdough culture at home and started baking sourdough bread. It was like, you know, gold rush, but for sourdough.