If you ask a local what foods San Francisco is known for you’ll likely hear: Dungeness crab from the Bay, cioppino, prime rib from the House of Prime Rib, and many others — everyone’s got their favorite. But perhaps the best known? The city’s famous sourdough bread.
While New Yorkers are obsessed with their bagels (although we can give thema run for their money), we’re obsessed with our sourdough. Even the San Francisco 49ers’ mascot,Sourdough Sam, is named after it! Tourists and locals alike can be found waiting in line at the city’s most popular bakeries to get fresh sourdough, because yes, it’s that good.
“What sets San Francisco sourdough bread apart is the history of it and the strong culture around it in the city,” explains legendary San Francisco bakery Tartine’s Head of Bakery Production, Stephanie Tantillo. “San Francisco is known for its sourdough bread and is definitely the city in the U.S. that really put naturally leavened bread on the map.”
Read on to find out why San Francisco’s sourdough reigns supreme and if it’s really any different here than around the world.
A little history of sourdough in San Francisco
Sourdough is the oldest form of leavened bread, used in ancient Egypt.NPR suggests that it was most likely discovered by accident when bread dough came into contact with wild yeast microorganisms, resulting in a bread with a unique texture and taste. Thousands of years later, sourdough became a staple during the Gold Rush, when a loaf would sustain hungry minersthroughout the day.Although loaves could be bought from San Francisco’s Boudin Bakery, which opened in 1849 just as the Gold Rush was getting underway, miners also made their ownwith their own homemade supply of sour, fermented dough (legend has it miners would even snuggle their sourdough starter on cold nights, to make sure it didn’t die). Naturally, the taste was tangy and unusual – that, plus the rough life miners were living, purportedly lent it the name “sourdough.”
Even though it’s now famous, the gold miners didn’t love their sour concoction. At the time, this style of bread wasn’t common, with most people preferring a sweeter, less pungent tasting — and smelling — bread. And miners were often terrible bakers, making theirbread in unsanitary conditions.But they often had no choice. Once store-bought baking supplies ran out, they used what they could: flour, water and fresh air.
According to lore, it wasn’t until the 49ers introduced their sourdough concoction to the recently-emigrated European bakers that the iconic sourdough loaf really took off. (Although there’s some debate as to whether miners introduced sourdough to European bakers newly immigrated to San Francisco or Europeans brought sourdough to the Americas.)Enter the famous Boudin Bakery, which was established in 1849, when Isidore Boudin nailed the “Original San Francisco Sourdough” after she acquired a wild yeast starter from a gold miner and perfected the recipe with a magical combination of flour, water, salt and mother dough.
Boudin Bakery, still in operation today, has been using the same sourdough starterfor over 170 years. It’s so special and integral to the taste of their sourdough that Boudin reportedlysends its retail shops a fresh starter every 23 days. Not surprisingly, their sourdough is arguably the most famous in the city (and certainly most popular with tourists).
Is San Francisco sourdough different from sourdough elsewhere?
Yes and no. Though it’s widely claimed that San Francisco sourdough is different from others, some aren’t convinced.
“Sourdough isn’t a flavor, it’s a leavening agent or yeast,” states Matthew Kosoy, owner of Rosalind Bakery in Pacifica. The key to sourdough bread tasting the way it does is the strain of bacteria, lactobacillus sanfranciscensis. And if that name looks like it has ties to San Francisco, it does.
“This special strain of lactic acid bacteria thrives in our salty, cold environment,” says Kosoy. “It isn’t unique to San Francisco but it was discovered here.” Indeed, in the 1970’s researchers set out to find out what gave the city’s sourdough its signature taste. They discovered the bacteria lactobacillus sanfranciscensis while in San Francisco, naming it after the city that they believed was the only one to have it.
This theory has since been disproven, with the bacteria being found in countries around the world. That said, the bacteria does particularly well in San Francisco’s climate. As a result, this city is highly conducive to making excellent sourdough bread.
What makes San Francisco sourdough bread arguably the best tasting?
OK, so sourdough isn’t unique to San Francisco. But many claim it tastes best here. Many, including Raymond Ofiesh of Raymond’s Sourdough Outlet and Bakery, says it’s our cool, foggy weather. “Everybody says ‘there’s nothing like San Francisco sourdough bread,’ and you know, they are absolutely right,” saysOfiesh. “San Francisco sourdough bread is the epitome of sourdough bread. It is truly this awesome, cool climate we have which allows the bacteriato flourish. This gift of nature also improves the shelf life of this amazing sourdough bread.”
“I think there’s a couple factors involved,” says Harry Flager, pastry chef at Stanly Ranch in Napa. “San Francisco has the perfect year-round climate for sourdough production, it’s never overly humid, it doesn’t snow, it’s never crazy hot. So for a bread that relies entirely upon time and consistent temperature — to naturally develop gas and rise — San Francisco is ideal.”
Another theory is that San Francisco sourdough tastes so good here because of its heritage. “Most San Francisco sourdough is made with starters that have been bred in the Bay Area, so it’s possible that the natural yeast in the area leads to a starter with a different flavor than one grown elsewhere, but I couldn’t say for sure,” Flager continues, noting that there was a time when no one was making sourdough bread with the methods used in San Francisco, which included high hydration, thebassinage method of mixing and the combinations of flours used. “By now the techniques and methods have been transferred across the country, especially with books like Tartine, but for a while the way that San Francisco sourdough was made was very unique.”
“When you have such a strong history around a product, and it becomes almost the namesake of the city, the expectations are high,” Tartine’s Tantillo explains. “San Franciscans know bread, they have a high standard for sourdough and a deep understanding. You really can’t get away with subpar naturally leavened bread in this city, there’s so many great options and so many well educated customers. It’s a staple in the city’s diet!”
Grab a loaf for yourself and decide whether sourdough bread made the San Francisco way really is special. Either way, you’ll be hard pressed to argue that it’s not delicious.
This story was edited by Hearst Newspapers Managing Editor Kristina Moy; you can contact her at[emailprotected].
If you ask a local what foods San Francisco is known for you’ll likely hear: Dungeness crab from the Bay, cioppino, prime rib from the House of Prime Rib, and many others — everyone’s got their favorite. But perhaps the best known? The city’s famous sourdough bread.
While New Yorkers are obsessed with their bagels (although we can give thema run for their money), we’re obsessed with our sourdough. Even the San Francisco 49ers’ mascot,Sourdough Sam, is named after it! Tourists and locals alike can be found waiting in line at the city’s most popular bakeries to get fresh sourdough, because yes, it’s that good.
“What sets San Francisco sourdough bread apart is the history of it and the strong culture around it in the city,” explains legendary San Francisco bakery Tartine’s Head of Bakery Production, Stephanie Tantillo. “San Francisco is known for its sourdough bread and is definitely the city in the U.S. that really put naturally leavened bread on the map.”
Read on to find out why San Francisco’s sourdough reigns supreme and if it’s really any different here than around the world.
A little history of sourdough in San Francisco
Sourdough is the oldest form of leavened bread, used in ancient Egypt.NPR suggests that it was most likely discovered by accident when bread dough came into contact with wild yeast microorganisms, resulting in a bread with a unique texture and taste. Thousands of years later, sourdough became a staple during the Gold Rush, when a loaf would sustain hungry minersthroughout the day.Although loaves could be bought from San Francisco’s Boudin Bakery, which opened in 1849 just as the Gold Rush was getting underway, miners also made their ownwith their own homemade supply of sour, fermented dough (legend has it miners would even snuggle their sourdough starter on cold nights, to make sure it didn’t die). Naturally, the taste was tangy and unusual – that, plus the rough life miners were living, purportedly lent it the name “sourdough.”
Even though it’s now famous, the gold miners didn’t love their sour concoction. At the time, this style of bread wasn’t common, with most people preferring a sweeter, less pungent tasting — and smelling — bread. And miners were often terrible bakers, making theirbread in unsanitary conditions.But they often had no choice. Once store-bought baking supplies ran out, they used what they could: flour, water and fresh air.
According to lore, it wasn’t until the 49ers introduced their sourdough concoction to the recently-emigrated European bakers that the iconic sourdough loaf really took off. (Although there’s some debate as to whether miners introduced sourdough to European bakers newly immigrated to San Francisco or Europeans brought sourdough to the Americas.)Enter the famous Boudin Bakery, which was established in 1849, when Isidore Boudin nailed the “Original San Francisco Sourdough” after she acquired a wild yeast starter from a gold miner and perfected the recipe with a magical combination of flour, water, salt and mother dough.
Boudin Bakery, still in operation today, has been using the same sourdough starterfor over 170 years. It’s so special and integral to the taste of their sourdough that Boudin reportedlysends its retail shops a fresh starter every 23 days. Not surprisingly, their sourdough is arguably the most famous in the city (and certainly most popular with tourists).
Is San Francisco sourdough different from sourdough elsewhere?
Yes and no. Though it’s widely claimed that San Francisco sourdough is different from others, some aren’t convinced.
“Sourdough isn’t a flavor, it’s a leavening agent or yeast,” states Matthew Kosoy, owner of Rosalind Bakery in Pacifica. The key to sourdough bread tasting the way it does is the strain of bacteria, lactobacillus sanfranciscensis. And if that name looks like it has ties to San Francisco, it does.
“This special strain of lactic acid bacteria thrives in our salty, cold environment,” says Kosoy. “It isn’t unique to San Francisco but it was discovered here.” Indeed, in the 1970’s researchers set out to find out what gave the city’s sourdough its signature taste. They discovered the bacteria lactobacillus sanfranciscensis while in San Francisco, naming it after the city that they believed was the only one to have it.
This theory has since been disproven, with the bacteria being found in countries around the world. That said, the bacteria does particularly well in San Francisco’s climate. As a result, this city is highly conducive to making excellent sourdough bread.
What makes San Francisco sourdough bread arguably the best tasting?
OK, so sourdough isn’t unique to San Francisco. But many claim it tastes best here. Many, including Raymond Ofiesh of Raymond’s Sourdough Outlet and Bakery, says it’s our cool, foggy weather. “Everybody says ‘there’s nothing like San Francisco sourdough bread,’ and you know, they are absolutely right,” saysOfiesh. “San Francisco sourdough bread is the epitome of sourdough bread. It is truly this awesome, cool climate we have which allows the bacteriato flourish. This gift of nature also improves the shelf life of this amazing sourdough bread.”
“I think there’s a couple factors involved,” says Harry Flager, pastry chef at Stanly Ranch in Napa. “San Francisco has the perfect year-round climate for sourdough production, it’s never overly humid, it doesn’t snow, it’s never crazy hot. So for a bread that relies entirely upon time and consistent temperature — to naturally develop gas and rise — San Francisco is ideal.”
Another theory is that San Francisco sourdough tastes so good here because of its heritage. “Most San Francisco sourdough is made with starters that have been bred in the Bay Area, so it’s possible that the natural yeast in the area leads to a starter with a different flavor than one grown elsewhere, but I couldn’t say for sure,” Flager continues, noting that there was a time when no one was making sourdough bread with the methods used in San Francisco, which included high hydration, thebassinage method of mixing and the combinations of flours used. “By now the techniques and methods have been transferred across the country, especially with books like Tartine, but for a while the way that San Francisco sourdough was made was very unique.”
“When you have such a strong history around a product, and it becomes almost the namesake of the city, the expectations are high,” Tartine’s Tantillo explains. “San Franciscans know bread, they have a high standard for sourdough and a deep understanding. You really can’t get away with subpar naturally leavened bread in this city, there’s so many great options and so many well educated customers. It’s a staple in the city’s diet!”
Grab a loaf for yourself and decide whether sourdough bread made the San Francisco way really is special. Either way, you’ll be hard pressed to argue that it’s not delicious.
This story was edited by Hearst Newspapers Managing Editor Kristina Moy; you can contact her at[emailprotected].
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FAQs
Why San Francisco sourdough bread tastes different? ›
The key to sourdough bread tasting the way it does is the strain of bacteria, lactobacillus sanfranciscensis. And if that name looks like it has ties to San Francisco, it does. "This special strain of lactic acid bacteria thrives in our salty, cold environment," says Kosoy.
Why does sourdough taste different in San Francisco? ›Bakers found the loaves they were making out in the American West had a pleasant tangy taste. But why? It turned out that San Fran's famously foggy climate was, and is, the perfect environment for the wild yeast cells and naturally occurring bacteria that give sourdough its characteristic flavour.
What is the difference between San Francisco sourdough and regular sourdough? ›However, San Francisco sourdough tends to be more sour, aerated and chewy than other types. All sourdough bread is leavened with a starter prepared by spontaneous fermentation of a mixture of flour and water. Large-scale commercial sourdough usually has extra yeast added to speed up production.
What is the difference between San Francisco sourdough bread? ›There are some significant differences. Primarily it is down to hydration and length of fermentation, temperature, and shaping techniques, although there are differences in the flour too. The French sourdough is lighter in flavour in general. San Francisco celebrates the sour, but there are exceptions.
Why does my sourdough bread not taste like sourdough? ›Still, there are three specific factors that can really affect your bread's flavor: The health of your starter. The level of the bread dough's organic acids. The complex relationships over time between levain, dough, fermentation, and proofing.
Why is sourdough better in SF? ›The key to sourdough bread tasting the way it does is the strain of bacteria, lactobacillus sanfranciscensis. And if that name looks like it has ties to San Francisco, it does. "This special strain of lactic acid bacteria thrives in our salty, cold environment," says Kosoy.
What type of sourdough bread is healthiest? ›For the healthiest sourdough bread, choose a variety made with whole wheat flour. Not only will you soak up the bread's natural probiotics, you'll get extra fiber, protein, and minerals, too. You can also make your own sourdough bread at home.
Which sourdough bread is healthier? ›Sourdough bread does have some health benefits, but certain types of sourdough are better than others. Sourdough made with wholewheat flour is generally healthier than that made with white flour, especially refined white flour.
Is Trader Joe's San Francisco sourdough bread healthy? ›Unfortunately, this product does not contain enough whole grains, if any. If there is fiber in here, it's probably added fiber and not naturally occurring. Whole grains are not the only way to consuming fiber, BUT by choosing them instead of processed grains you've made a smart choice.
What is the best flour for San Francisco sourdough bread? ›The protein content should be around 14% and it should contain enough gluten to be considered “very strong flour”. Personally, I favour Canadian white flour for this task, albeit not always organic, it has proven itself time and time again as the best flour to use for San Francisco bread baking.
What does San Francisco style sourdough mean? ›
Our Organic San Francisco-Style Sourdough is a chewy and tangy sourdough bread made in the west coast tradition. This means that the bread enjoys a long and cool overnight rest and has a very strong sour flavor, perhaps the strongest of all our breads.
How to choose most authentic grocery store sourdough bread? ›- Simple ingredients. As we mentioned earlier, real sourdough only uses 3 ingredients (flour, water, and salt). ...
- Short expiry date. Real sourdough bread will have a short shelf life as no preservatives will have been added.
- Not cheap.
- Use more whole grain flours across the sourdough process.
- Oxygenate your starter.
- Feed starter less and keep the hooch.
- Use a stiff starter.
- Add starter after peak.
- Ferment the dough longer and at cooler temperature (using less starter)
1) Use More Whole Grain Flour
One easy way to make sourdough more sour (and noticeably so!) is to incorporate more whole grains into your sourdough recipes. Flour made from whole grains such as whole wheat, einkorn, and rye naturally have more robust, tangy flavors than white flour. Rye especially.
Some people are sensitive to histamine and other amines, and may experience headaches after eating fermented foods. Because amines stimulate the central nervous system, they can increase or decrease blood flow, which can trigger headaches and migraines.
Why does sourdough taste different in different places? ›You're right, sourdough starters are different everywhere, based on what yeasts and bacteria are prevalent in that specific location. Certainly climate and altitude affect the living things that float around, so in turn those variables affect starters.
Did San Francisco invent sourdough bread? ›Sourdough bread traces its origins to ancient Egypt and is common in parts of Europe. It became a staple in San Francisco during the California Gold Rush of 1849. Gold miners valued it for their camps because of its durability, and the relative ease of obtaining yeast.
Can sourdough only be made in San Francisco? ›Sensationalist claims were spread that authentic sourdough could only be produced in San Francisco that would eventually be rendered false, though the specific yeast known for giving the bread its pronounced tartness was named Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis.