My sister in law thinks all bread needs a starter and I finally pushed back

She was over for dinner last week and saw my loaf of simple white bread. She said, 'Real bakers only use sourdough starters, everything else is just baking.' That got under my skin. I told her I deliver mail all day and sometimes I just want a fresh, soft loaf in under 3 hours for my family. Not everything has to be a 3 day project to be good. Has anyone else felt judged for making quick breads?

3 comments

3 Comments

dakotab9318h ago

Okay, the "real bakers" line is where I have to jump in. That kind of gatekeeping is so tiring. A good loaf is one that gets eaten and enjoyed by the people you made it for. Sometimes that's a slow fermented sourdough, and sometimes it's a quick yeast bread after a long day. Acting like only one way is valid ignores centuries of baking tradition from all over the world. Your fresh white bread for your family is just as real as anything else.

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the_lee15h ago

Remember how every culture has a cheap, fast bread for hard times? Like Irish soda bread during the famine or tortillas. Calling only slow bread "real" kinda misses that baking is about feeding people with what you've got, not just showing off skill.

victor77910h ago

Ever try to make a quick bread and just end up with a doorstop? Asking for a friend. Dakotab93 is right, a good loaf is the one that doesn't get thrown at the wall.