The Literary Significance of Bread: Reflections from an Amateur Sourdough Baker

When I first started baking sourdough, I never imagined it would become such a central part of my life. What began as something to do at home during the pandemic has now turned into this grounding ritual and one of my favorite hobbies. The act of kneading dough, waiting for it to rise, has made me think about bread in a way I never had before. It’s more than food now. It’s life, history, and even a bit of art. This realization has led me to explore how bread is portrayed in literature, from Margaret Atwood’s evocative poem "Bread" to the importance of bread in Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables.
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