Article by Janna Tamargo | Photos by Sofia Gallo and Janna Tamargo | Published February 13, 2025
The Timeless Romance of Sourdough
This Valentine’s Day, while many celebrate with chocolates and roses, at AuthenticFood.com, we’re embracing a deeper love: the timeless romance of sourdough bread. It is no secret that during COVID, sourdough became wildly popular, but I didn't realize the depths of the love for this bread until I was in the UK last year when I met up with MasterChef Sofia Gallo.
Her sourdough-making class at the Milton Keynes Cookery School was more than a baking class, it was an educational journey that provided a foundation for the absolute depths of the history of this bread. From the 150-year-old sourdough starter she had to her mastery of knowledge about the process and history of sourdough, the experience was nothing short of transformative. As we mixed, kneaded, and shaped the dough, Gallo shared stories of ancient bread-making traditions, tracing sourdough’s origins back thousands of years. She spoke passionately about how each culture has its own version of naturally leavened bread, from Italian pane madre to San Francisco’s famed sourdough loaves.
What struck me most was her reverence for the fermentation process and how wild yeast and bacteria work together to create something both nourishing and deeply flavorful. She explained how her 150-year-old starter, passed down through generations, carried a living history within it, connecting her to past bakers. By the time we pulled our loaves from the oven, golden-crusted and fragrant, I understood why sourdough is more than just bread it truly is a testament to patience, tradition, and the kind of love that grows stronger over time.
A Labor of Love and Tradition
Few foods embody love, patience, and tradition like sourdough. It’s a labor of devotion, requiring time, care, and a little bit of magic. To honor this, we’re celebrating the artistry of MasterChef Sofia Gallo, an avid sourdough baker who believes real bread is about more than just flour and water; it’s about connection.
“I started making sourdough out of nostalgia,” Gallo shares. “I wanted to reconnect with my roots, my childhood in Italy, and my grandmother’s rustic loaves. Bread has always been a part of my life, and sourdough is just an extension of that history.”
Sourdough as a Symbol of Heritage
For Gallo, sourdough is a symbol of heritage. “It keeps me tied to my past and reminds me of home,” she says. “And beyond that, it’s truly magical. With just three ingredients, flour, water, and salt, you create something living, something extraordinary.”
At the heart of sourdough’s appeal is its simplicity. Unlike commercially produced bread, which often contains additives and preservatives, sourdough is as pure as it gets. The fermentation process naturally enhances flavor, texture, and digestibility, making it one of the most authentic breads in existence.
The Real Bread Campaign, Authentic Bread
Gallo is also a supporter of the Real Bread Campaign, an initiative dedicated to promoting traditional baking and raising awareness about the benefits of naturally leavened bread. “Real bread is authentic bread,” she explains. “It’s about returning to the basics, appreciating the craft, and celebrating food in its purest form.” She went on to explain just why the global campaign is important, "Bakers want to celebrate real bread but also want to promote as opposed to what we are normally buying into supermarkets and that is not 'real' in the sense that it's got loads of additives to it to even resemble the 'real' thing, whereas you can just make it with three highly and largely available ingredients and do it at home."
The Real Bread Campaign is a global movement that advocates for bread made without artificial additives, preservatives, or unnecessary processing. It aims to reconnect people with traditional baking methods, supporting small bakeries and home bakers who prioritize natural fermentation and high-quality ingredients. For Gallo, this movement is not just about making better bread—it’s about preserving an ancient craft and challenging the dominance of industrially produced loaves.
Mass-produced bread, often found in supermarkets, is made for speed and shelf stability rather than flavor or nutrition. Many commercial loaves contain chemical improvers, artificial flavors, and excess sugar to accelerate fermentation and extend freshness. In contrast, like sourdough, real bread, relies on slow, natural fermentation, which enhances flavor, improves digestibility, and makes nutrients more bioavailable. Studies suggest that naturally leavened bread is easier on the gut, as the fermentation process breaks down gluten and phytic acid, making it a healthier alternative to highly processed varieties.
The campaign also supports ethical food production, emphasizing locally sourced grains and sustainable farming practices. Many industrial bakeries rely on mass-produced flour prioritizing yield over taste and nutrition, stripping wheat of its natural complexity. By advocating for real bread, the campaign encourages consumers to seek out flour from small-scale millers and heritage grain farmers who preserve biodiversity and traditional milling techniques.
For Gallo, embracing real bread is about more than just taste it is about valuing the time, skill, and knowledge that go into making it. “Bread should nourish both body and soul,” she says. “When you make it the way it was meant to be made, you’re not just baking you’re participating in a tradition."
Through her advocacy and teaching, Gallo hopes to inspire more people to support artisanal bakers, experiment with sourdough at home, and appreciate the artistry behind every loaf. In a world where convenience often takes precedence over quality, Sofia and the Real Bread Campaign remind us that some things, like a truly great loaf of sourdough bread, are worth the time and effort.
Love Beyond Romance: The Everyday Connections of Sourdough
Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love, but love isn’t just about romantic gestures, it can be about the small, everyday connections we nurture. Whether it’s kneading dough with family, sharing a rustic loaf with friends, or simply taking a moment to appreciate the beauty of slow fermentation, sourdough embodies love. It is a perfect symbol of enduring love.
“For me, Valentine’s Day isn’t just about one specific day, it’s about cherishing the people and experiences that bring joy,” Gallo says. Gallo expressed how she loves to celebrate love all year. She finds joy in the little things, whether it’s a spontaneous lunch date at her favorite restaurant or a fun night out with friends. "Sometimes its a cheeky lunch date at our favorite restaurant. Or maybe a night out with my friends," Baking bread is also a huge part of that. It’s something I share with my children, my partner Geoff, and my community. It’s a tradition, a comfort, and a way to express love.”
Celebrate the Love of Bread This Valentine’s Day
We invite you to celebrate the bread that brings people together this Valentine’s Day. Try your hand at baking a loaf, support your local bakeries, or savor a slice of well-made sourdough.
After all, the best love stories like the best bread take time to rise.
However you choose to celebrate, whether it’s Valentine’s, Galentine’s, or simply a day of appreciation, we’re sending lots of love to our AuthenticFood.com community
