A sourdough saga

I baked sourdough bread before the craze, and now I’m baking it after the craze. I just missed doing it during the craze.

In the early days of the pandemic, when lots of folks were locked down, hobbies like jigsaw puzzles and baking were big news. Sourdough bread became a fad, with people creating their own starters from scratch. King Arthur Baking (formerly King Arthur Flour) saw its sales skyrocket during the pandemic, and even some bakers who scrimped on lesser brands of flour trusted the company’s website for its authoritative recipes and baking information. (Their flour really is worth the money, though.)

I missed the craze, for a couple of reasons. For one thing, I’d had a sourdough starter, and baked with it, years earlier. At one point, I took a break and dried the starter, storing the dried chips in a vacuum-sealed bag in the freezer. I must have thrown them out at some point, although I don’t remember it.

Also, I continued to go in to my office each day — Tennessee never locked down as much as some other states did, and government employees are considered essential anyway.

And for some of the pandemic, my oven has been on the fritz. Confession: It still is. I recently had a rent increase, so this would probably be a good time to talk to my landlord…