Recently, as Katrina Niesen, a.k.a. The Sourdough Mama, was feeding her sourdough starter with fresh flour, she remarked to her mother, “Who would’ve thought this goop would change my life so much?” Who indeed? How wonderful that said goop not only changed Katrina’s life but that this particular pile of dough will soon morph into one of her viral creations—perhaps a purple butterfly, a bright yellow marigold, a starfish with edible pearl-lined arms, or even a mini-mushroom that doesn’t look like bread at all but, of course, still is.
There’s something fundamental and magical about turning goop into nourishing, delicious bread and elevating that same bread into gorgeous art. Katrina fell in love with this process, and bread-making generally, five years ago after seeing another woman’s sourdough on Instagram. At the time, she was suffering from postpartum depression, and her newfound obsession ended up becoming an “amazing”outlet” for her, she says, and ultimately healed her. She’d always been into smoothie-bowl art and making her meals pretty in general, but something about bread felt better … even more primal. And being able to re-create her favorite natural forms—the shapes of flowers and butterflies, which make her feel alive, more connected to the world—allowed those feelings to come to the surface.
How else does she stay enchanted? She takes long walks alone or with her daughter, she daydreams, and she takes in the colors and beauty of nature around her as she walks. This, she says, often leads to her ideas. Now she tends a huge online community and teaches workshops to other aspiring sourdough artists who want to find beauty,nourishment, and healing through bread.
Find out more about Katrina and her workshops and other offerings at thesourdoughmama.com.
