Sourdough for Science

This project can be completed at home or in the classroom.
Humans have baked bread for over 14,000 years. All over the world, different cultures bake their own unique breads – and have for centuries. Yet we know almost nothing about the microbes that make bread rise and taste delicious. In this project, you can create your own sourdough starter from scratch,  just by mixing flour and water. Over the course of 14 days, you can take a series of simple measurements to track the growth of your own “microbial garden”. Your measurements will help solve the mystery of bread, by comparing the growth of microbes in different types of flour – and how those microbes contribute to the taste and texture of bread.