Celebrating Sourdough September at Kneads Bakeshop

Every September, bakeries and home bakers take part in Sourdough September, a monthlong celebration of real, naturally fermented bread. It is a small thing in the grand scheme of a year, but it is the kind of small thing we look forward to. This year, we wanted to mark it properly: with a closer look at the sourdough loaves that have been part of our bakery case since day one, and a few of the other in-house favorites from the Kneads Marketplace that do not always get their turn in the spotlight.

What Is Sourdough September?

Sourdough September was started in 2013 by the Real Bread Campaign, a UK-based initiative that spends the rest of the year advocating for bread made the slow way: flour, water, salt, and a living culture, with nothing else added to speed things along. The campaign uses the month to encourage people to bake their own sourdough, buy from independent bakeries, and learn to spot what it calls “sourfaux,” bread that borrows the sourdough name and tang without the actual fermentation behind it.

We like that distinction, because it is the same one we care about. A real sourdough loaf takes time. There is no shortcut to a starter that has been fed and cared for, and no substitute for the days a proper loaf needs to develop its flavor. Sourdough September gives us a reason to talk about that process a little more than we normally would.

What started in 2013 as a single campaign has grown into something bakeries and home bakers across the world now build a small ritual around each fall. Some people use the month to finally start a starter of their own. Others simply make a point of buying from a local bakery instead of a grocery store shelf. Either way works. The point is not the specific action, it is paying a little more attention to where a loaf of bread actually comes from.

Why Sourdough Takes Time

Part of what makes sourdough different from a standard loaf comes down to what is actually doing the work inside the dough. According to Colorado State University Extension, traditional sourdough relies on wild yeast and naturally occurring bacteria rather than a single commercial yeast strain, and that combination is part of what gives sourdough its characteristic tang and chewy, open crumb. The same extension resource notes that sourdough has been shown to be more digestible than bread made with commercial yeast alone, since the longer fermentation breaks down some of the compounds that a shorter process leaves untouched.

None of that is a reason to expect a miracle loaf. It is simply a reason sourdough tastes and feels different, and why the process is worth slowing down for once a year, even if we already do it every day.

In practice, that patience looks less exciting than it sounds. A starter has to be fed on a schedule, dough needs long stretches of rest between folds, and a loaf that looks ready sometimes needs another hour anyway. There is no way to rush a starter into being active before it actually is. Baking sourdough well mostly means paying attention and being willing to wait, which is a strange thing to build a business around, but it is the one we chose.

Our Signature Sourdough Loaves

Our classic sourdough is the one that started it all, the loaf with the crackling crust and tangy, open crumb that a lot of our regulars build their week around. From there, our bakers treat it as a starting point rather than a finished list. Depending on the season, that same base has carried concentrated sun-dried tomatoes and roasted garlic, and right now it is showing up as an Apple Cinnamon Sourdough, with tender apples and warm cinnamon folded into the dough for a loaf that leans toward fall instead of tang. We already wrote a full guide to the sun-dried tomato version, including how to tell a well-made one apart and a few ways to serve it, if you want to read more about our Sun-Dried Tomato Sourdough.

Every one of these comes from the same starter and the same patience. What changes season to season is what gets folded in, not how much care goes into the base, and it is worth checking our current seasonal sourdough before you visit, whether that is online or in the case at your nearest location.

Spreading the Warmth of Baking

Sourdough has a way of turning into more than just bread. A loaf that takes days to make tends to get shared rather than eaten alone, whether that means slicing it for a table of people or dropping half a loaf off with a neighbor because you baked too much. That is really what Sourdough September is about for us: an excuse to point at something slow and deliberate in a month that otherwise moves fast.

If any of this makes you want to try baking sourdough yourself, we run hands-on classes throughout the year that walk beginners through the whole process, starter and all. You do not need experience, just a willingness to get a little flour on your hands. And if baking your own is not for you right now, that is what we are here for.

More to Love: The Kneads Marketplace

Sourdough September is also a good excuse to mention a few of the Kneads Marketplace products that live alongside our bread, since they do not always get their own moment. Our house-made Cheese Crisps and Brownie Brittle make an easy pantry snack or an addition to a cheese board. Our Plain Cream Cheese and Sour Cream & Onion Cream Cheese are built to go straight onto a warm slice of sourdough, no toaster required. For something more substantial, our Chicken Salad and Tuna Salad turn a torn piece of sourdough into lunch in about a minute, and our Trail Mixes are there for whenever you need something to carry with you.

We also bottle a few of our own house spice blends, the same ones our bakers reach for in the kitchen, for anyone who wants to bring a little of that flavor into their own cooking at home. These are not meant to replace the bread. They are meant to go with it, the same way a good spread or a good sandwich filling always has.

A few of these pair especially well with Sourdough September. Toast a slice, spread on the Sour Cream & Onion Cream Cheese, and you have a snack that takes less effort than reheating leftovers. Pack a Trail Mix and a bag of Cheese Crisps for a picnic loaf and call it lunch. Or, if you are the type who likes to cook, pick up one of our spice blends and use it the next time you are working with your own dough or roasting something at home. It does not need to be fancy to be worth doing.

How to Celebrate With Us

You do not need to bake your own starter to take part in Sourdough September. Stop by a Kneads location to pick up a loaf, a few Marketplace favorites, or both, or order online if you would rather skip the line. However you spend the month, we hope it involves at least one good slice of real sourdough.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sourdough September?

Sourdough September is an annual celebration of naturally fermented bread, started in 2013 by the Real Bread Campaign to encourage people to bake, buy, and appreciate genuine sourdough.

What sourdough loaves does Kneads Bakeshop offer?

Our classic sourdough is available year-round, and we rotate in new combinations with the seasons, like our Sun-Dried Tomato & Roasted Garlic Sourdough and our current Apple Cinnamon Sourdough. It is worth checking our website or asking in person to see what is in the case right now.

What is in the Kneads Marketplace?

The Kneads Marketplace includes house-made Cheese Crisps, Brownie Brittle, Plain Cream Cheese, Sour Cream & Onion Cream Cheese, Chicken Salad, Tuna Salad, Trail Mixes, and our house spice blends.

Can I order Kneads sourdough and Marketplace items online?

Yes. Both our bread and select Marketplace items are available to order online, or in person at any of our Baltimore locations.