Oh, Sourdough!

Half a sliced loaf of sourdough sits in my freezer, waiting to be eaten. I have established a new rule in my kitchen: at least half a loaf of sourdough must be in the freezer at all times. Those who violate the rule by eating some of the sourdough shall be responsible for replacing it. I will not look kindly upon those who waste the sourdough in any way, including accidentally dropping bread on the floor.

What provokes this militancy? The three years of sourdough deprivation I've endured, with only an occasional reprieve when I sojourned to San Francisco. At times, my yearning for sourdough became so desperate that I would eye the Colombo bakery stand in the Oakland airport and debate purchasing a loaf (which never occurred, as my carry-on luggage was always too full.)

In New York, the lack of sourdough meant that I settled for rye, which never had the satisfying tang of sourdough (just the abrupt zing of caraway seeds), or resigned myself to the fibrous choice, wheat. I never understood the paucity of sourdough in New York, but my best guesses include the prevailing yeast in the air is different in California or perhaps, an unspoken hatred of sour bread exists in the Northeast.

Is anyone wondering why I need my sourdough frozen? (Is anyone even reading this?)
When I was in elementary school, one of my "science" projects looked at the ideal household conditions for the growth of mold on bread. ("Science" here is meant in a broad sense, as my other projects included "What to Eat Before a Swim Meet" and "Do Plants Have Feelings?") To my horror, the conditions in the fridge were the best for mold, and the runner-up for the most mold was bread at room temperature. Surprisingly, the bread placed in the basement fared well, staving off mold growth for many days. Using the knowledge gained from this pivotal experiment, I now freeze half a loaf of sourdough soon after buying it and eat the other half over the span of a week.

The best way to enjoy frozen bread is to first defrost it at room temperature or in the microwave, then toast or grill the bread. While I might look wistfully back at other breads in New York--the "free" foccacia at Le Gourmet, the fresh pita at the Hummus Place, and pastries from Patisserie Claude, I look forward to making sandwiches with nicely sour, oh-so-tangy SoCal bread.