During the pandemic, many people decided to adopt a pet or purchase a jungle of houseplants to keep them company. Maegan Vaughan got a sourdough starter.
She had always been interested in sourdough baking, but with newly found extra time, she dove in. She tried and failed at growing her own starter from scratch before purchasing one from Homestead and Chill, a blogger she followed. That starter is still the one she feeds and uses today.
For most of human history, sourdough was the only way to bake bread. The process relies on the fermentation of a “starter,” a mix of flour and water, which is then colonized by naturally occurring yeast and bacteria from the air. The starter is then “fed” by the addition of more flour and water, and the mature “discard” can be used to leaven breads, pancakes, cookies, or other baked goods.
Maegan likes to feed her starter with organic whole wheat flour from local miller Marion Milling.
“The starter loves the fresh flour, it makes my bread better,” Maegan says.
Sourdough’s unique fermentation process touts a wide variety of benefits when compared to commercial bread. It has a lower glycemic index, can be easier on digestion, and has a higher quantity of vitamins and minerals.
“If you eat a loaf of bread other than sourdough versus sourdough, the digestion is completely different,” says Maegan. “I can attest to that. It makes the best food. The living starter adds so many vitamins and probiotics to whatever you add it to.”
Maegan loved that bread was a catalyst for connecting with people during a time when that was more difficult during the pandemic. “It was my way of communicating with people,” she says. “I loved doing it and I wanted people to try my bread.”
Maegan’s pandemic hobby grew quickly into an at-home bakery, The Sourdough Spot. She sold out of bread quickly each week, and began to scale up her operation. She purchased tables for workspace, a mixer, and a bread oven to turn her garage into a full-scale operation to bake loaves not just for porch pickup, but for local markets and her fledgling Etsy store.
After just a few months, she needed to scale her business further and sought out a commercial kitchen where she could bake bread for markets in Missouri and teach classes in a space of her own. Her attention immediately turned to the Iron District, a North Kansas City gem that operates food, drink, and retail micro-businesses out of shipping containers. It was a perfect fit. Not only was the rent in her budget, but she was familiar with the area from her experiences at the North Kansas City YMCA. She took the plunge and hasn’t looked back since.
Maegan continues to operate The Sourdough Spot out of her big green shipping container at Iron District. She loves that she has a commercial kitchen, that she’s able to sell food like sandwiches and soup, and that she’s able to continue sharing her love of sourdough baking through classes.
Participants at Maegan’s sourdough classes participate in the entire sourdough process in just three hours, taking a journey from beginner to baker.
“A lot of people come to class nervous,” says Maegan. “It’s my joy to help calm people’s nerves. It’s not as difficult as people make it seem on the internet! We get our hands dirty, it’s fun. I love hearing everybody’s reactions to the dough. People leave class telling me, ‘You’ve helped me simplify it.’”
Maegan splits the class into two loaves – one loaf that participants start from scratch to finish at home, and one that she starts for students. This ensures that everyone taking the class is comfortable with the entire process before they try their hand at doing it entirely on their own at home. They measure, mix, fold, add inclusions, score, and even bake loaves by the time they leave class.
“We basically finish up the large loaf in class,” Maegan explains. “It’s ready for your fridge. You just have to bake it. The small loaf, you just have to finish it up at home that night.”
Taking a class and learning to bake sourdough is a wonderful way to fill the cold, dark winter months.
“I knew it was important to keep classes going during the winter because it’s a great thing to do when you have nothing else to do. People can learn a new skill, take it home, try it out, and do it a lot,” Maegan says.
For Maegan, teaching the classes isn’t just about bread – it’s about community. She’s watched students bond over their newfound love of baking. Some even stay in touch after class, keeping their bond as alive as their starter. She wants to share her love of this ancient practice, get folks out of their comfort zones, and get more people baking their own bread at home.
“There’s something more here than just sourdough, it's a gathering of people,” Maegan reflects. “You realize how close we all are. Sometimes people know each other or make friends. It's a good time.”
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to forget the value of slowing down, learning something new, and connecting with those around you. Sourdough baking offers a rare opportunity for all three – and, as Maegan promises, you’ll have delicious bread to show for it.
You can visit Maegan and buy some of her bread, sandwiches or soups at The Sourdough Spot inside the Iron District at 1599 Iron Street in North Kansas City. You can also pre-order bread online at https://thesourdoughspot.com. Reach out to Maegan on Instagram at @thesourdoughspotkc or via email at the sourdoughspot@gmail.com.
“There’s something more here than just sourdough. It's a gathering of people.”
If you'd like to learn to make sourdough bread with Maegan, you can sign up for a Sourdough 101 class! The Sourdough Spot will be hosting classes in January on Friday the 10th, Saturday the 18th and Friday the 24th. Find the links via @thesourdoughspotkc on Instagram or email Maegan at sourdoughspot@gmail.com.