Each September, the Real Bread Campaign hosts a month-long celebration of genuine sourdough bread. Now in its 11th year, this initiative not only marks the time-honored tradition of sourdough baking but also promotes the joys and benefits of Real Bread to a global audience.
What began as a UK-centric initiative has now expanded to include participants from over 50 countries. This international reach underscores the universal appeal of sourdough and the shared values of craftsmanship and community.
“We’re delighted to have built it to be a worldwide celebration, especially given our limited capacity to promote things internationally,” Chris Young, Real Bread Campaign coordinator, told Bakery&Snacks.
“Happily, there are many baking schools and small bakeries – plus a handful of larger ones – sharing sourdough knowledge and skills. While we’re spreading the word through online and other media channels, bakers are busy in their local communities passing on what they know.”
Sourdough and social media
Social media is undoubtedly spreading the love. According to Craft to Crumb, an interactive media model that provides insights for the retail baking community, sourdough bagels are a top trend for 2024, with searches increasing by 300%. Chocolate sourdough is also popular, logging a 270% increase in searches. Sourdough tortillas, croutons and cinnamon raisin sourdough bread, too, pulling in a 200% increase in searches.
King Arthur Baking Company has also noticed a surge in bread flour sales. America’s oldest flour company (founded in 1790) is seeing double the website traffic for its sourdough products compared to last year.
“The rise in bread flour sales can be attributed to several factors that all overlap and weave together to create the trend we are seeing today,” said John Henry Siedlecki, VP of Brand & Innovation.
“A lot of people learned how to bake during COVID and are now putting those skills to good use as a way to escape the craziness of everyday life and the never-ending bad-news-cycle. Bread baking is not only a stress reliever, but it also gives bakers control over the ingredients they use, and with grocery prices spiking last year, give them a little more control over their budgets with homemade bread being cheaper than buying it from a store.”
Last year, King Arthur Baking Company hosted Baking Pitchfest 2024 - half mentorship, half competition - designed to champion bakers and entrepreneurs of color. The company is also an advocate of regenerative agriculture. Its recently launched Regeneratively-Grown Climate Blend is an innovative wholewheat blend of unique wheat varieties grown using farming practices that improve soil health.
So what is Sourdough September?
Sourdough September is not just a campaign; it’s a movement. The initiative encourages people to bake, buy and boost genuine sourdough bread, made without additives and leavened exclusively by a live sourdough starter culture. This contrasts sharply with what the Real Bread Campaign coins as ‘sourfaux’, breads marketed as ‘sourdough’ but made using baker’s yeast or other raising agents and often include additives.
It's also a month to bring the Campaign’s efforts to the fore. Despite its success, the sourdough sector faces significant challenges.
“Lack of adequate regulation means that use of the word ‘sourdough’ to name and market products is not limited to genuine sourdough, leading to unfair competition for bakers of genuine sourdough bread,” Young told us.
“It also leaves some shoppers understanding the word sourdough as a promise they’ll get the real thing, but at risk of being misled into buying fundamentally different products.”
Central to the Campaign’s mission is to advocate for clearer regulations and better consumer protection. Since 2009, it has been lobbying for the Honest Crust Act, an update on the composition, labeling and marketing standards. The Act would require bakers and manufacturers to fully disclose all ingredients and processes used in making bread.
“With successive governments failing to introduce the protection for shoppers that we have called for, in the form of a legal definition of sourdough, companies and trade bodies make up their own definitions and do what they like,” Young said.
He urges consumers to always read the ingredients list.
“Ignore the marketing claims on the front and flip round to the meaningful bit. If it includes any additive or additional raising agent, such as yeast or baking powder, ask yourself if this is what I want to spend my money on?”
Growing a new generation of bakers
For those with a sourdough starter gently resting in the back of the fridge, Sourdough September is the perfect opportunity to wake it up. If you don’t fancy your chances at creating your own masterpiece, the Campaign encourages supporting your local bakery that takes the time to make authentic sourdough. The Real Bread Campaign even provides a Real Bread Map online to locate these bakeries.
Save the date
Real Bread Week 2025 runs from February 15-23.
And watch out for announcements: bakeries, baking schools, traditional mills and eateries around the world host a variety of sourdough activities, from baking classes to tastings. Many organizers use social media to share their events, tagged with #SourdoughSeptember.
The Campaign - which is run by the food and farming charity Sustain - also offers numerous ways to get involved. There’s the option to join the Real Bread Campaign, make a ‘doughnation’ or purchase Real Bread-themed gifts like the limited edition ‘flour, water, salt, time’ T-shirt, apron and mug. Learn to nurture a starter with the help of the Dough Monster guide, which makes the process accessible even for children, or to sow winter wheat. By engaging children in the journey from seed to sandwich, the Campaign aims to foster a deeper understanding of where our food comes from.
“Our Bake Your Lawn and Lessons in Loaf projects helped more than 10,000 children learn how to make Real Bread, discover things that we found other baking education resources left out and ask questions to help them make better-informed choices about food they buy and eat,” said Young, noting it’s now the perfect time for families and schools to start winter wheat projects, ensuring the tradition of Real Bread continues to thrive among the next generation.
The Campaign also hosts Read Bread For All (to improve availability, accessibility and affordability); No Loaf Lost (helping small bakeries to reduce their surplus and waste); and Together We Rise (championing ways that breadmaking can change people’s lives).
Sourdough through the ages
3000 BCE: The origins of sourdough can be traced back to ancient Egypt, when bakers accidentally discovered that wild yeasts in the environment could ferment dough, leading to the first leavened bread. This discovery was a significant advancement from the flatbreads that were common before.
1000 BCE-476 CE: Sourdough techniques spread through the Mediterranean region. The Greeks and Romans developed more sophisticated baking methods, using sourdough as the primary means of leavening bread. As the Roman Empire expanded, sourdough spread across Europe. Roman soldiers carried sourdough starters with them, helping to introduce the technique to new regions.
5th-15th Century: Throughout Europe, sourdough continued to be the primary method of leavening bread. Different regions developed their unique styles, leading to variations in taste and texture.
18th Century: The Industrial Revolution brought significant changes. The introduction of commercially produced yeast made bread production faster and more consistent, leading to a decline in the use of traditional sourdough methods, particularly in urban areas.
19th Century: Sourdough became particularly important during the California Gold Rush (1848-1855) and the Klondike Gold Rush (1896-1899). Miners and pioneers carried sourdough starters with them because they were a reliable and portable way to bake bread in remote areas. In fact, ‘sourdough’ became a nickname for veteran gold prospectors.
20th Century: At the beginning of the 20th Century, sourdough baking became less common, thanks to the advent of commercial yeast and mass-produced bread. However, it remained a tradition in certain regions, such as San Francisco, where sourdough bread became a cultural icon.
Starting in the 1970s, there was a resurgence of interest in traditional, artisanal breadmaking methods as US consumers sought out more natural, flavorful and nutritious bread options. San Francisco sourdough became particularly famous during this period.
21st Century: Sourdough experienced a major resurgence worldwide, fueled by the rise of the slow food movement and increased interest in health and wellness.
“Recent literature reveals how sourdough fermentation increases mineral bioavailability, enables fortification with dietary fibers, lowers glycemic index, improves protein digestibility and decreases the content of anti-nutritional factors,” said Young.
Sourdough baking saw an unprecedented swell in popularity during the pandemic with people spending more time at home and facing yeast shortages. Social media played a significant role, with home bakers sharing their creations and tips, leading to a global sourdough craze.
Sourdough remains extremely popular, both in artisanal bakeries and home kitchens. Its appeal lies in its rich flavor, health benefits (due to natural fermentation) and the craft involved in maintaining a sourdough starter. Sourdough has also become a symbol of the artisanal food movement and a marker of culinary craftsmanship.
Study:
Thirty years of knowledge on sourdough fermentation: A systematic review
Authors: K Arora, H Ameur, Andrea Polo, et al.
Trends in Food Science & Technology, Volume 108, 2021, Pages 71-83,
doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2020.12.008.
