Written by Carrie Edelstein

April 1 is National Sourdough Bread Day, and for me, I’ll be celebrating by buying a lovely loaf from KNEAD Bakehouse + Provisions. While my initial thoughts of sourdough bread take me to the first time I tried it as a little girl walking with my family in Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, I more recently am reminded of my many bread fails over the past year. With grocery stores trying to keep toilet paper stocked during the pandemic, who knew packets of yeast and bread flour would also be some of the hottest commodities?! Like many Americans with more time at home, I stockpiled some supplies and tried baking bread.

I started with some “easy” recipes that seemed foolproof like this one here. The first try was delicious, and gone in a flash. But when I tried it again and added a few flavorful ingredients, the consistency was affected and I got a little sick from consuming undercooked dough. My daughters and I decided to move on to challah bread as many friends seemed to be having success with that creation.

While those loaves actually tasted pretty good, they never looked very appetizing, so we moved on to the next challenge. Inspired by an episode of “The Great British Bake Off,” we thought we were actually so great at braiding bread that we too could attempt to make an 8-plaited loaf as featured in the show. That loaf never made it to picture status- it came out of the oven undercooked and flattened.

But it was the sourdough attempt that made us all realize some things are truly better left to the professionals. I felt like the only one in the world who didn’t know you have to “grow” a sourdough starter before you can actually get to baking the bread. I found KNEAD and ordered a cup of their pre-made starter… along with a loaf of sourdough bread. My daughters and I ate the entire loaf before dinner and the starter sat in our refrigerator for about a week. One evening, my husband opened the jar where it was stored and asked me exactly what I was growing. When I told him about my plan to try baking bread again, he asked me to please rather just buy another loaf.

Needless to say, my order has been placed for April 1. And for anyone else who wants to do the same, KNEAD will be recognizing and celebrating the day by giving away their Sourdough Starter, with care instructions, with every purchase. And if you end up making the bread, I’d love to see your attempts, whether they are fails or masterpieces! Send your pictures to carrie@slmag.net or post them on social media and tag @sophisticatedlivingmag.

*KNEAD will also be offering Hot Cross Buns everyday leading up to Easter as well as Edith Grey and Chai Spice Carrot Cake tea cakes. KNEAD is located at 3467 Hampton Avenue and is open Tuesday-Sunday. For curbside pickup or delivery, call 314.376.4361 or order online here.