From the fortune cookie to the espresso martini, San Francisco has been the ingenious birthplace of some the most iconic culinary creations. There's a particularly flavorful staple that "rises" above the rest however, and that is our globally famous sourdough. Visitors near and far all flock to San Francisco to acquire a loaf (or several) of this renowned bread, distinguished in our city with its exclusively distinct flavor and texture.
We've got the historic and scientific "proof" as to how and why this tangy bread has become so beloved as part of San Francisco's identity, as well as where you can snag a few loaves of your own.
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The 1800s gold rush proliferated an exponential population boom in San Francisco, and with the increasing arrival of prospectors came a higher demand for food and resources for nourishment. Miners discovered that the bread starters (fermented dough kept alive with natural bacteria and yeast) they brought over could continue to remain stable simply by continuously adding flour, a cost-effective and sustainable method to make bread every day without having to always buy a new loaf.
The miners soon started to discover a different taste to their bread, however, which was more sharply sour than they had ever experienced. While they were first perplexed by this new flavor, it gained popularity, and using this novelty to attract residents to the city, the iconic San Francisco sourdough was born.
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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.
San Francisco's environment happens to have all the right components to flourish and sustain these certain yeast cells due to the ideal foggy weather, elevation, climate, and more. Sourdough's global prominence today still honors San Francisco and it's innovative gold rush era through retaining the lactic bacteria's name after us, making our mark on both food science and history.
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So where can you get a taste of this long-celebrated bread? Boudin Bakery is the first and oldest operating business to sell sourdough, remaining open through wars and earthquakes to provide comforting bread to the city, which is said to even use the very same starter first developed in the 1800s!
With several expansions all around the Bay Area, Boudin has established itself as an integral feature of San Francisco's culture, with the original flagship manufactory standing tall at Fisherman's Wharf. It is said that this delightfully bright and aromatic tourist destination impressively uses 25,000lbs of dough each day, seen delicately baked to perfection and piled high as other creatively cute shapes like Instagrammable turtles, bears, and more.
See also: How SF Was Built On Sand Dunes And Broken Ships
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Other locations to take some divine carbs home include the ever-popular cozy Tartine in the Mission and its spacious Manufactory in Potrero Hill, the Acme Bread Company in the Ferry Building, Sunset's adored Arizmendi Bakery, the Black-owned Rize Up Sourdough, and Manresa Bread at Palo Alto's Town and Country Village.
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Sourdough can be found everywhere now thanks to San Francisco's culinary determination and kind perseverence, and wherever you butter or soup up this sour specialty, you can revel in it's yeast being called Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis. And that's some delicious history to really sink your teeth into!
See also: Here's Why San Francisco Gets So Foggy In The Summer
Photography by: Ivan/Getty Images
