Accepting that: some loaves are only for learning, some are for eating and a few are for photographing

By 2026, sourdough bread is no longer a niche product or a passing foodie trend. It has become a reference point—a standard against which other breads are measured.

Knowing how to make sourdough bread at home gives you more than a recipe — it gives you options. This piece explores how understanding dough opens the door to variation, adaptation, and creative freedom, using the viral croissant-style sourdough as a starting point rather than a destination. Because bread isn’t about trends; it’s about knowing what to change, and why.

Making bread at home is part technique, part patience, and part accepting that dough has a personality of its own.