Greetings from SFO!

[Steve Miller]

For Christmas I asked for a loaf of San Francisco sourdough bread. I can’t find anything like it in Ohio and I miss it. Aldi now sells one that’s close but it’s really not right.

So Sharon arranged this trip to SFO and told me to buy my own damned bread!

The (loose) plan is to check out the various sourdough bakeries we found on top 10 lists on line using cable cars, the cool electric trolly buses, Ubers and jitneys of various sorts. Not a quest, really, but a reason to see various parts of the city at a relaxed pace.

Today we found 2 - Boudin and Acme. Boudin is probably the most famous but never ranks very high on the lists. I thought it was terrific and if other ones are better I cant wait!

[Steve Miller]

We’ll be getting one of these sourdough loaves that look like alligators for Jack:

The Acme bread is good, and prompted us to visit the Ferry Terminal marketplace, which is very cool. Got some outrageous Sonoma olive oil and a bit of cheese to go with the bread. Also got a fifth of Sonoma Valley whiskey for about half of what I’d pay in Ohio. Bought it for the label (I’m a sucker for a good John Muir quote) but it turns out I really like it.

Here’s a view of the city taken from the big new Ferris Wheel they’ve installed near Fisherman’s Wharf.

[ShiroKuro]

What fun!! And great pics!!
The alligator bread is really cute!

[Jodi]

Very cool!

[Bernard]

Cool! (Although I was expecting a thread about the San Francisco Opera!)

[RealPlayer]

Ah yes! Lived there in the 1970s and still have fond memories.

[Mik]

Nice. I do recommend Whole Foods sourdough. Pricey but very good.

At CVG at the moment headed for FLL. A week in the Keys. Key lime pie and fish that was swimming this morning.

[RealPlayer]

Why is SF sourdough so prized? Is it the starter? After all, good sourdough is not hard to find elsewhere.

[wtg]

Cool trip, @Steve-Miller . If wanting a loaf of sourdough for Christmas got you a trip to SF, maybe next Christmas you should ask for a bottle of cognac!

[AdagioM]

What a great idea; that Sharon’s a keeper! Enjoy every crumb. San Francisco is a fun city.

[wtg]

@RealPlayer said in Greetings from SFO!:

Why is SF sourdough so prized? Is it the starter? After all, good sourdough is not hard to find elsewhere.

Wondering the same thing. For store-bought, Panera isn't bad. And we used to buy the Aldi version, which was OK but not special.

Now we're partial to wtg's world famous sourdough.

[pique]

Sourdough starter develops differently depending on its location. Stuff that is literally in the air influences it. So, my understanding is that is the air in San Francisco that creates their sourdough's signature flavor.

[Steve Miller]

Most commercial sourdoughs use added yeast as well as whatever yeast is in the starter. They do this because it save time and money but the result isn’t the same. Any sourdough bread with yeast listed with the package ingredients is going to be smoother, less chewy, and less sweet than SF style. The Aldi bread is like that - kind of a not all that sour/chewy version of plain white bread. It’s fine but it’s not worth traveling much farther than Aldi to get it.

Chain groceries in my area don’t sell sourdough at all. The TJ used to - and it was good - but they don’t sell it any more. Local tastes run to other breads, apparently.

Thanks for the tip to try Whole Foods. I never think to shop there.

[AndyD]

Great idea for a trip, I'm jealous! Artisan bread is well worth the price.

Aldi/Lidl/Morrisons may do pretty good sourdough (fauxdough) but it's not the real thing.

[RealPlayer]

Piqué — this sounds similar to those ancient monastic brewers in Belgium. The yeasts lived in those caves for centuries and the beer can’t really be replicated elsewhere. Although there are similar beers in that style that are very good.

[Steve Miller]

WTG and Jodi - how do you make your sourdough? Do you use more than 4 ingredients?

[wtg]

Mine has five: Starter, water (I use water from our tap), salt, bread flour, and olive oil.

I keep my starter in the refrigerator because it doesn't require as much attention. I don't bake more than a couple of times a week, so if I left it on the counter and fed it every day I would end up tossing a lot of starter.

I've been using the same basic recipe for the last three or four years. It had the olive oil in it and we liked the results, so that's what I've gone with. I use a scale for the ingredients, so the bread should, in theory, come out pretty much the same each time. I find, however, that it varies depending on how long it's been since I last fed it. I usually feed it every 2-3 weeks. I have two jars of it and I alternate feeding them so I always have some nicely active starter available. We like the loaves that are made with starter that's at about the one week mark.

I've always meant to try it without the oil. I'm making a loaf today and will leave out the oil and report back.

[Steve Miller]

I’m looking forward to hearing the result. My guess is that the oil emulsifies things a bit so the holes in the middle aren’t quite so large - better for sandwiches.

Mik, I checked the ingredients in the Whole Foods loaf. Looks like a winner!

[Steve Miller]

Here’s a 4 ingredient loaf - Billy Parisi:

[wtg]

Yes, we don't tend to get the huge holes that I've seen in other sourdough breads, which does make it better for toasting and for sandwiches.

I also wonder if it keeps it fresher for a longer time.