The Art and Science of Sourdough Bread with Mother of Three and Environmental Scientist Leigh Patterson Artwork

Seeds of Sunshine - A mother-daughter podcast

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Seeds of Sunshine - A mother-daughter podcast

The Art and Science of Sourdough Bread with Mother of Three and Environmental Scientist Leigh Patterson

March 08, 2025 • Carmen Micsa and Sophia Micsa • Season 3 • Episode 112

Season Three, Episode 112

Join your hosts, Carmen and Sophia Micsa, to learn more about the art and science of sourdough bread making and how to balance motherhood with running, hiking, and environmental sciences from our guest, Leigh Patterson.

Leigh Patterson is a mom to three children and a Senior Environmental Scientist. She enjoys staying active, spending time outside, running, hiking, camping, and exploring. She and her husband have a small chicken farm. They enjoy gardening, building things, and doing projects around the house. Leigh also bakes sourdough bread and is passionate about helping others do the same. Sourdough is both a science and an art, and Leigh believes anyone who wants to learn truly can!

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode:

Leigh calls balancing out motherhood with her business and athletic endeavors a juggle. However, she prioritizes athletics and running, which helps her with everything else.
Leigh started baking bread about eight years ago to have a healthier option for her family.
As people asked questions about the sourdough breadmaking process, Leigh created a curriculum and a class. Then, she hosted her first class for a group of friends at her house.
As a biologist, Leigh is interested in the science of making bread.
Sourdough is a very flexible and dynamic process.
Leigh quoted a baker who said, "It takes 10 loaves to get comfortable and 10 years to get good."
We've all heard of prebiotics and probiotics. Sourdough is baked in the oven, so those microorganisms don't survive that baking process. It's too hot for them. However, the fermentation process actually alters the cellular structures and creates new compounds. This is true for any fermented food, and scientists have grouped those compounds into this general category they call postbiotics.
Sourdough refers to the process, so we can have sourdough bread, waffles, etc.

To connect with Leigh Patterson:

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Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa.
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