Sourdough economics: no need to knead
Why the time has come to say no to dough
FUTURE ARCHAEOLOGISTS of the internet will unearth a fascinating shift in digital content in early 2020. Before this turning-point, social media were cluttered with videos of cats doing cute things. Now they are dominated by pictures of sourdough loaves doing nothing.
This transformation is one of the ripple effects of covid-19. When the pandemic locked people into their homes, they had a surplus of their own time and a dearth of others’ labour, so domestic life reverted to pre-capitalist self-sufficiency, and professionals turned their hands to whatever was needed. Deprived of fresh bread, bankers took up baking. When their shelves fell down, consultants tried a bit of carpentry. Faced with partners who began to look like yetis, barristers became barbers.
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline "The need to knead"
From the July 11th 2020 edition
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