Document Type

Restricted

Advisor

Jeffrey Cole

Publication Date

2025

Comments

Access to this paper is restricted to the Connecticut College campus.

Abstract

This thesis explores how sourdough baking operates simultaneously as a site of labor, community formation, and gift exchange. Drawing on participant observation at two New England bakeries, as well as interviews and personal experiences, I argue that sourdough bread baking fosters a gift economy that challenges capitalist norms by emphasizing care, reciprocity, and community over profit. I examine how sourdough serves as both a material and symbolic link between bakers and embeds shared knowledge and emotional connection into daily labor. The research also highlights the role of women in reclaiming and redefining domestic crafts, particularly in the context of COVID-19’s resurgence of home baking. By analyzing bread baking through the frameworks of gift theory and Marxist feminism, this thesis reveals how seemingly simple acts, like feeding a sourdough starter or sharing a loaf, reflect broader struggles over value, care, and community resilience in contemporary life.

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The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author.