Fools in the Middle Ages

As silly as it might sound, yes, there is a day to celebrate sourdough bread. And this year, it falls on Tuesday, the first of April, aligning with April Fools Day.  Sourdough bread day is a national holiday in the United States, celebrated to recognize one of our world's oldest and most historic leavened breads. But what makes this bread so special?

Sourdough is one of the oldest types of breads, dating back thousands of years into our history, 3700 BC. It was first discovered in Egypt, and was later recreated by ancient Greeks and Romans. Up until the middle ages, it was the main source of bread,(the 5th to 15th century). Sourdough is thought to have been stumbled upon accidentally. Unlike most breads, it does not use commercial baker's yeast to rise. Since they did not have access to yeast back then, they used what we now call a sourdough starter. In order to make it, they must have accidentally fermented water and flour together to make a sourdough starter, thus creating sourdough bread. Despite its old age , it continues to be a staple food for many cultures and places around the world. 

How can you celebrate this wacky holiday?

 Generally, people celebrate by buying sourdough, or even making their own. Here is a recipe, from “The Clever Carrot” called “Sourdough Bread: A Beginner’s Guide”, rated 4.9 stars.

150 g sourdough starter

250 g warm water

25 g olive oil

500 g bread flour

10 g sea salt. 

First, mix the sourdough starter, warm water, and olive oil together, then add flour and salt. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30-60 minutes. After, roll it into a ball and leave it to rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size. Once risen, flour half your work surface to cut the dough, and the other side plain to shape it into either 1 or 2 loaves. When shaping, keep folding the dough into the center and turning slightly until the desired ball shape. Next, leave the dough to rise in a pot or pan to rise for a second time, for 30-60 minutes. Preheat your oven to 450℉. Once the dough has risen, slash the top 1 time. Put the bread into the oven, in a covered pot for 20 minutes. Then take the lid off and bake again for another 40 minutes. Remove the dough and let it cool. 

Be sure to enjoy National Sourdough Bread Day!