When the Science Hits the Fan - Road Trip

Welcome to the first edition of the newly named When the Science Hits the Fan post. This week, I am taking my science on the road. Literally. Early tomorrow morning I will be leaving for San Francisco to attend the annual Weinstein Cardiovascular Development conference. Scientist from all around the world will come to this meeting and share the latest research on normal and abnormal heart and vascular development. And guess what... the organizers of this meeting asked little old me to present my work. Pretty cool. So in honor of my trip, here is a fun science fact about San Francisco. 

While San Fran has many famous attractions like the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, it is almost as well known for its sourdough bread. The secret to San Francisco sourdough is not in the yeast, but in the unique bacteria found in the air around the city. In fact, the main bacteria that gives this type of sourdough its one of a kind flavor profile is actually named for the city itself, Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis.

While typical bread dough is made with packaged yeast, sourdough bread is made with a mixture known as a starter. A starter is composed of water, yeast, flour, and bacteria. More water and flour are added to the mixture each day to “feed” the starter. A baker only needs to purchase a starter once. It can be fed for years, or even decades, with the right care. Some San Francisco bakeries continue the tradition of sourdough bread with starters that can be traced back for generations. The most famous of these bakeries is Boudin Bakery. Their sourdough starter can be traced back to the beginning of the company during the California Gold Rush.