sourdough
Americannoun
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fermented dough retained from one baking and used as leaven, rather than fresh yeast, to start the next.
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bread leavened with this fermented dough.
Pick up a loaf of sourdough and a baguette, too.
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a prospector or pioneer, especially in Alaska or Canada.
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any longtime resident, especially in Alaska or Canada.
adjective
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of sourdough
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English: literally, “leaven, leavened bread” ; see origin at sour, dough
Explanation
Sourdough is bread that's made with a fermented mixture of flour and water instead of yeast. If you have some sourdough starter, you can easily bake your own sourdough loaf. Before it came to mean "fermented dough" in the 19th century, sourdough simply meant "leavened bread." Sourdough tastes a tiny bit sour, thanks to the fermentation that helps the bread rise. The practice of saving a piece of dough from a previous loaf and using it to bake another one became especially popular during the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush in the Yukon territories. It was so common, in fact, that sourdough was a well-known nickname for experienced prospectors.
Vocabulary lists containing sourdough
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They used to have my favorite breakfast in the world: sourdough, soft scramble, prosciutto and Parmesan.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
A new twist on the cottage-core looks that emerged post-pandemic, instead of gingham, wicker bags and sourdough starters, it's all about looking like you're fresh from planting seeds or operating a lawnmower.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
It’s found in a softened honey butter alongside house-made focaccia and sourdough.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
They’re stocked with luxe plush toys, Hermès bags, fresh vegetables and even sourdough starter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
My mother had cooked a huge meal of fish soup and roast turkey, ptarmigan, and sourdough bread.
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
