San Francisco sourdough baguettes, batards, and boules are famous for their distinct aroma and tanginess. The Bay area is home to unique strains of naturally occurring microbes (beneficial wild yeasts and friendly lactic acid bacteria) in its foggy environment, and these lively neighbors volunteer to produce the exceptional texture, crumb, aroma, and flavor of the San Francisco sourdough bread.
Instead of using only baker’s yeast (like that in most off-the-shelf breads), true sourdough is made by employing a community of naturally occurring microorganisms. This vital cooperation enhances the flavor and aroma of sourdough bread.
Luckily, some of the West Coast’s foggy onshore air reaches into my sleepy West Sacramento neighborhood via the Sacramento River valley. This breeze brings a bit cooler temperatures at times. It ferries some of these naturally occurring wild yeasts (candida humilis) and lactic acid bacteria (lactobacillus sanfranciscensis) that help make my Sacramento sourdough so unique.