sourdough
Fermented flour culture
Sourdough is bread leavened with a fermented starter rather than commercial yeast, giving it a distinctive tangy flavor: a crusty sourdough loaf, sourdough pancakes.
The starter itself—a live culture of wild yeast and bacteria maintained by regular feeding—is also called sourdough.
In Alaska and the Yukon, sourdough is slang for an old-timer or experienced prospector, from the practice of keeping starter alive through harsh winters.
Baked bread shape
- crustHard outer layer
- crumbSmall broken-off piece
- bouleFrench lawn bowling
- baguetteElongated crusty loaf
sandwich · toast · sliced · oven · bakery · wholegrain · rye · wheat
Acid-producing beneficial bacterium
- yeastFermenting fungus
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- wildNot domesticated or controlled
- fermentationMicrobial sugar conversion
proofing · anaerobic · microflora · enzymes · acidification · autolyse · overnight
Natural bread leavening
- motherFemale parent
- cultureCollective social practices
- leavenFermenting agent for dough
- feedingGiving food to
discard · hydration · bubbly · active · rise · flour · water · wild
Manual dough development
- shapingGiving something its form
- scoringEarning points in competition
- proofingChecking for errors
- lameWeak or limping
parchment · windowpane · steam · bake · scraper · scale · timing
Hard-shelled, literally or figuratively
- crunchyBreaking with sound
- goldenBright yellow, or precious
- crispyBrittle and snapping
- blisteredFormed fluid-filled welts
caramelized · ear · scoring · bloom · chewy · crackling · charred · mahogany
Sharp-flavored small pie
- acidicBelow neutral pH
- sharpFine-edged, or astute
- pungentSharply strong-smelling
- flavorCharacteristic taste quality
zesty · tang · complex · piquant · mild · pronounced · characteristic · distinctive
Made manually, not machined
- artisanSkilled manual tradesperson
- small-batchProduced in limited quantities
- traditionalFollowing long-held customs
- handmadeCreated manually, not mechanically
craft · boulangerie · old-world · skill · workshop · local · authentic · quality
loaf
Baked bread shape
baguette · sandwich · toast · sliced · oven · bakery · wholegrain · rye · wheat · pumpernickel
lactobacillus
Acid-producing beneficial bacterium
- yeastFermenting fungus
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- wildNot domesticated or controlled
fermentation · proofing · anaerobic · microflora · enzymes · acidification · autolyse · overnight
levain
Natural bread leavening
feeding · discard · hydration · bubbly · active · rise · flour · water · wild · sponge
kneading
Manual dough development
lame · parchment · windowpane · steam · bake · scraper · scale · timing
crusty
Hard-shelled, literally or figuratively
blistered · caramelized · ear · scoring · bloom · chewy · crackling · charred · mahogany · burnished
tart
Sharp-flavored small pie
flavor · zesty · tang · complex · piquant · mild · pronounced · characteristic · distinctive · zippy
handcrafted
Made manually, not machined
- artisanSkilled manual tradesperson
- small-batchProduced in limited quantities
- traditionalFollowing long-held customs
handmade · craft · boulangerie · old-world · skill · workshop · local · authentic · quality · heritage
- breadssliced bread, bagel, white bread, boules, brioche
- doughspuff pastry, choux pastry, flaky pastry
- fadspet rocks, hula hoops, fidget spinner, mood rings, Tamagotchi
- food trendsfusion, cronuts, oat milk, kombucha, cauliflower rice
- Wheat Productswheat flour, bread flour, all-purpose flour, whole wheat, gluten
- artisan breadbaguette, ciabatta, boule, focaccia, levain
sourdoughbaker's yeast
Leavening microorganism for dough
instant yeast · active dry yeast · quick bread · unleavened · unleavened bread
sourdoughWonder Bread
Packaged white sandwich loaf
white bread · sandwich bread · sliced bread · milk bread · sweet bread
- sourdough starterFermented flour-water culture
- sourdough breadNaturally leavened baked good
- sourdough pancakesFlapjacks made with fermented starter
- sourdough rollSmall bread from fermented dough
- San Francisco sourdoughTangy fermented bread from California
- sourdough bakerOne who works with starter