--- title: Slowing Down- Why Taylor Swift, Pamela Anderson and Royal Bakers Love Baking Sourdough description: Do you know that Taylor Swift only uses the internet for sourdough? When a celebrity bakes sourdough, is it as a“new hobby,” a way to humanize them, or show how they are embracing the slowing -down flavour of an artisanal life? author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief) date: 2025-10-01T08:34:22.000Z updated: 2026-10-27T15:37:27.329Z canonical: https://richwoman.co/article/slowing-down-why-taylor-swift-pamela-anderson-and-royal-bakers-love-baking-sourdough image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/6aab56e5-a7fd-4cd7-b9e7-8941b3b5c5f5.jpg categories: Feeling Good and Happy content_type: Feature region: Global publication: Rich Woman Magazine --- [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkDabZgkwmo) In many European countries, bread is more than just food, it’s heritage. When you walk into a bakery in France, Germany, or Italy, shelves welcome you with rustic loaves, each shaped by centuries of tradition. Not all breads are created equal. While supermarket loaves rise quickly with commercial yeast, [sourdough takes its time](https://richwoman.co/article/how-to-pick-real-sourdough-and-why-it-can-be-easier-on-your-gut-and-blood-sugar), fermented slowly with wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. The result? A bread that’s not only richer in flavor but also packed with potential health benefits. No wonder celebrities from pop icons to Hollywood stars and Britain’s most beloved baker have embraced the sourdough life. ### The Celebrity Sourdough Craze When Taylor Swift finished a run of her Eras Tour shows, she didn’t unwind with champagne—she baked. From cinnamon swirl to blueberry-lemon, Swift has experimented with sourdough recipes in her own kitchen, even gifting loaves to friends like Selena Gomez. On the *New Heights* podcast she mentioned that [she only uses the internet](https://richwoman.co/article/feeling-good-and-happy-the-self-awareness-blueprint-to-break-free-from-social-media-s-hijack) for sourdough as she’s become passionate about baking it, discussing fun flavors like blueberry-lemon, cinnamon swirl and even “Funfetti sourdough.” Pamela Anderson has also revealed her passion for sourdough, baking loaves (from a starter she named “Astrid”) and gifting them to co-stars. Liam Neeson even received a homemade sourdough during filming, a gesture as wholesome as the bread itself. And while Mary Berry may be best known for her Victoria sponges and Bake Off judging, she has long been a champion of traditional, slow baking. Her bread recipes celebrate the patience, texture, and therapy of kneading dough—principles at the heart of sourdough making. When three such different women—an international pop superstar, a Hollywood actress, and Britain’s baking royalty—sing the praises of sourdough, you know it’s more than a passing trend. ### Why Sourdough Is Healthier Than Most Breads Scientists are still exploring the full health effects of sourdough, but here’s what current research and nutritionists agree on: - **Gentler on Digestion**: The natural fermentation partially breaks down gluten and reduces compounds like phytic acid, making nutrients more accessible and bread easier to digest. - **Better Blood Sugar Control**: Studies suggest sourdough produces a slower rise in blood glucose compared to standard white or wholewheat breads. - **Nutrient Boost**: Fermentation unlocks minerals such as iron, magnesium, and zinc, and can even boost certain B-vitamins. - **Lower FODMAPs**: For those with sensitive stomachs or mild IBS, sourdough often contains fewer fermentable carbohydrates than yeast-leavened bread. - **Flavor & Freshness**: Its natural acidity helps the bread stay fresh longer and delivers that distinctive tangy depth that keeps people coming back. Unlike probiotic foods like yogurt or kimchi, sourdough doesn’t deliver live bacteria after baking (the heat kills them). But the fermentation process leaves behind beneficial acids and altered starches that still support gut health and satiety. ### The Flour Matters Tradition matters when it comes to flour. My digital nomad lifestyle takes me across Europe, so I always have the chance to explore local bakeries and notice that bakers choose their flour carefully: - In Italy: Tipo 0 or [Tipo 1 flour](https://amzn.to/3KqRZEl) – lighter, but still nutrient-rich, often used for pane di Altamura. - In Spain, harina de fuerza (strong bread flour) or harina panadera (bread-making flour) forms the backbone of sourdough loaves. - In Germany, rye flours give sourdough its earthy character. - In France, [T65 wheat flour](https://amzn.to/4gMSHHT) makes rustic country bread. - In Nordic regions, blends of rye and whole grain wheat make dense, hearty loaves. At home, combining strong white flour with a portion of [whole grain or rye](https://richwoman.co/article/healthiest-artisan-breads) is a simple way to recreate these old recipes. ### A Family Memory: My Mom’s Baking For me, sourdough will always carry the scent of my happy childhood. My mom was a very busy woman, but she somehow found the time to bake fresh sourdough breads, donuts and empanadas filled with cheese. She never let me into the kitchen, insisting I belonged in the library instead. She was right—I grew up loving books more than recipes. But the truth is, my son remembers those days of his early childhood vividly, the smell of fresh bread curling through the house, the sweetness of donuts, the warm cheese wrapped in golden empanadas. Those scents are his anchor to family history. And though I am not a talented or confident baker, every once in a while, I make a timid attempt at bread. It’s less about the perfect crust and more about keeping alive a piece of my mother’s legacy, so that her baking lives on, not just in childhood memory, but, hopefully, in my children’s lives. ### Why We Keep Coming Back to Sourdough There’s something profoundly human about sourdough. It’s not instant; it demands patience and care. A starter is alive, a tiny kitchen ecosystem passed from one day to the next. Maybe that’s why celebrities and home bakers find it grounding, as helps them to [slow down](https://richwoman.co/article/rich-monday-paper-how-do-you-slow-down-a-little-to-enjoy-life-s-simplest-things), to nurture and to share. For Taylor Swift, it’s about gifting something homemade. For Pamela Anderson, it’s about connection and ritual. For Mary Berry, it’s about the timeless joy of baking bread by hand. For me, it’s about remembering my mom and letting my son and grandson carry those warm kitchen memories forward, a slice of bread, an empanada, a donut, one timid try at a time. And for all of us, sourdough may just be the loaf that brings the slowing- down- flavour together in every slice. Whether you’re a global superstar, Britain’s baking queen, or just a woman like me dusting flour on your hands in memory of your mom, sourdough proves that sometimes a simple recipe really is the proof of healthy eating.