Richard Paczynski

Sourdough Culture by Professor Eric Pallant is a joy to read and a pleasant surprise. Informative and exceptionally well written, the chapters flow one to the other and material on the history and science of fermentation that might otherwise be dry really came to life. The author’s quest to track the origins of his prized sourdough starter (named Cripple Creek) is the thread that runs through the book and ties things together nicely. I ended up learning a great deal more about topics with which I was already familiar and Pallant’s queries have planted new lines of thought for future study. For me a strong indicator of the quality of a non-fiction work is whether it leaves enough of an impression that I end up wanting to pursue more knowledge along new avenues. For example, I now plan to learn more about the biology of ancient grains and find out which ones might be used to enhance my own baking. As a special note it should be mentioned that my first contact with Sourdough Culture was through Audiobook, and I’m very glad I did it that way. Currently I own a paper copy of the book but the actor who performed on audio was excellent. He read with delightful energy and his voice brought out the wry humor and nuances of the author’s thought process. Highly recommended both for tantalized beginners and people who already have the sourdough bug. - RP Paczynski, Harrisburg PA