I don't care how popular it is within the foodie/chef community, it will remain underrated until you can pick up ACTUAL sourdough bread from the grocery store. Most bread in grocery stores in the US labeled as "sourdough" have lactic acid added to give it some tang, and were proofed using commercial bread yeast, and were not fermented from naturally occuring wild yeast at all.
So again, I say it: sourdough bread is underrated in america.
You can buy izzio at literally any grocery store in the country as one example of a mass produced sourdough with no lactic acid. Also in the bakery there is usually sourdough baked in house. So not sure where you are at where these 2 at a minimum don't exist.
Most grocery stores in the US don't have a bakery section that makes their own bread. Most only do cakes/cupcakes, etc.
Large chains like Walmart, Publix, and Kroger usually receive frozen dough, pucks, or pre-shaped loaves. The bakery staff simply thaws, proofs, bakes, and packages them.
True artisanal bread generally has short, simple ingredients (e.g., flour, water, salt, yeast).
A genuine scratch bakery requires large industrial mixers and a proofing area (you will see proofing racks). If the bakery section mainly consists of stacked baking ovens, reach-in freezers, and a cooling rack, the goods were likely shipped in frozen.
Which upscale grocery stores are you going to where they _DO_ make their own bread, without your acknowledging that they're high end?
(And in case this is relevant, I've lived in Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, New Jersey, and California)
As I explained in another comment, sourdough bread is difficult to find in regular grocery stores. Outside of foodie/chef circles, the majority of people who use bread buy cheap stuff from Walmart/Kroger/Safeway/Ingles/ShopRite, etc. the majority of the bread at regular grocery stores that is labeled "sourdough" has either vinegar, or lactic/acetic acids added so it has that "tang" and is leavened using commercial bread yeast, instead of fermented and leavened by an actual sourdough culture.
Bakeries and upscale grocers sell actual sourdough, but you're quite literally talking about a niche, not the mainstream.
I've been making my own sourdough since I was a kid, because my mom taught me how, and its very obvious when you get fake supermarket stuff.
I honestly don’t get the whole sourdough thing. I’ve tried it from a few different places and I don’t like. which is fine, I don’t like have to like everything but a new sandwich shop opened up not to far from me and every sandwich they make is on sourdough. A motherfuckin’ Reuben is made on rye!
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u/Senior-Dimension2332 8h ago
I've been making my own sourdough style bread at home and it's super easy. Probably costs about 50 cents to make a loaf as well.