Because I started this endeavor in the 38th year of my legal practice, I cannot say baking suddenly made me a better lawyer. Certainly, I wouldn't want my prebaking clients to think they had been settling for half a loaf.
On the other hand, being a lawyer undoubtedly made me a better baker.
It's All About the Culture
A successful legal practice requires assembling and nurturing the right team and developing a culture in which the team members can reach their full potential. The same is true in baking. High-quality ingredients lead to high-quality breads. And one of the most important ingredients is yeast.
These microscopic organisms are recruited from the air around us but can only survive if properly and continuously nourished in a hospitable environment. Once they are recruited into a well-maintained sourdough starter or "culture," they can do the literal heavy lifting of making bread rise.
Sourdough cultures can contain as many as 70 different strains of yeast, plus numerous types of lactic acid bacteria.1 The yeast causes the dough to rise by emitting carbon dioxide, and the bacteria contribute to the "sour" taste of the bread.
This article was initially published by Law360. To read the full article please visit Law360.com, or download the PDF below.
- American Society for Microbiology, "The Sourdough Microbiome," June 26, 2020, available at asm.org.