Foreword by Nathan Myhrvoid

There is something fantastically rewarding about baking bread that is leavened with wild yeast. Our devotion is fueled by the diversity of complex flavors and satisfying textures that these organisms lend to breads.

Using wild yeast to leaven bread is one of the oldest forms of baking—the first records of raised bread date back to ancient Egypt. The technique was discovered by accident, as many great culinary innovations are. Imagine the shock and delight of the first baker who pulled a fluffy sourdough from the oven instead of the flatbread that was typically produced. An obsession was born; its proliferation throughout the world was powered by both palate and necessity. Today, nearly every culture makes some form of sourdough and each variety reflects the history and products of that region.