Stumbled into a bakery in St. Louis that uses a 70 year old starter

I was visiting my sister last weekend and we walked past this tiny spot called Old Town Bread. Decided to grab a loaf and ended up chatting with the baker for like 20 minutes. Turns out they still use a sourdough starter that a German immigrant brought over in the 1950s. The owner said it's been fed daily for 70+ years and gives their bread this crazy tang you just can't fake. I tried their classic boule and I swear the crumb was like nothing I've made at home. Has anyone ever worked with a starter that old? I'm curious if it really makes a difference or if it's mostly hype.

3 comments

3 Comments

tessa_murray27d ago

Does this place have a secret handshake you need to know to get in? I'm half convinced they're just keeping a pet in a jar and calling it science. Honestly, 70 years of feeding a jar of flour and water sounds more like a cult than a bakery. I bet that starter has seen more action than my sourdough starter from last week that I already forgot to feed. I mean, is it really baking bread or is it just a really slow science experiment? What if that starter just decides to go on vacation one day?

phoenixw1127d ago

Does the starter's age really change the flavor that much, @tessa_murray?

susanb3427d ago

Wow, it's kind of like how grandma's old recipes always taste better because they just have more time and love in them!