April 1 is usually reserved for April Fools’ Day, but I have a better idea: Celebrate National Sourdough Bread Day on April 1 instead. Here in Portland you can immerse yourself in all things sourdough at the second annual Portland Sourdough Showcase, taking place at Steelport Knife Co. that afternoon. And it’s free to attend!
Sourdough
As you may remember, making sourdough bread gained increased popularity during the COVID pandemic. I, myself, kept a sourdough starter on the counter during those years.
Natural leavening like sourdough has been around for millennia. From the article, “A Brief History of Sourdough,” by Eric Pallant:
“For 6,000 years—since breads were first baked in the Fertile Crescent until the end of the 19th century—the staff of life was made by hand from only four ingredients: flour, water, salt, and a sourdough culture of wild yeast and bacteria. Workers who built the Egyptian pyramids received the bulk of their calories from sourdough bread. Ancient Rome imported wheat from across its vast empire to turn into loaves it distributed to Roman citizens. Survival through the Middle Ages depended upon preparation of sourdough loaves baked in communal ovens.”
I love the tang of sourdough and it’s one of my favorite flavors, so I’m pretty chuffed to tell you about this event on this Wednesday, April 1 from 4pm to 6pm.
Portland Sourdough Showcase
This is the second annual Portland Sourdough Showcase and it’s a chance to sample sourdough breads from some of Portland’s best bakeries. Those bakeries include:
- Flour Market, which recently reopened their cafe.
- Dos Hermanos, which, among other things, makes Hojaldra (ham, cheddar & jalapeño in puff pastry).
- Cafe Olli, the new home of Ma Cher, too.
- Little T Baker—I recently bought a bread called Kornspitz from them that was amazing.
- Bauman’s on Oak, where the Quince Fest was.
- Ken’s Artisan Bakery + Pizza Annex.
- Bob’s Red Mill, technically in Milwaukie, but a beloved brand to Portlanders, too.
Dappled Tonic will have their tonic water beverages available; and along with sampling their sourdough, Baumans on Oak will sample ciders.
Portland Sourdough Showcase, Aside From the Sampling
Along with sampling, you’ll be able to buy bread and products from the different bakeries. And if you have questions about sourdough, bread-making, and/or the breads they make, they’ll be there to listen and answer. This is a very generous offering of expertise from people who really know their stuff.
Additionally, some bakers will bring their sourdough starters—for sale or for giving away, I don’t know, but it’s going to be interesting to see how alive they all are. Fun fact: Sourdough starter counts as a SCOBY—a Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast. (SCOBYs are not just for kombucha.)
And since it takes place at Steelport Knife Co., there will be factory tours available. Steelport, a high-end knife company here in Portland, will launch their new Bench Scraper and Baker Set to coincide with the Portland Sourdough Showcase.
As I mentioned, this is a free event, but RSVPing will help the organizers with their planning for the event. You can RSVP here.
I look forward to this event and getting to see the sourdough work all these excellent bakeries are doing in Portland. Hope to see you there!
Second Annual Portland Sourdough Showcase
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
4pm to 6pm
Steelport Knife Co.
3602 NE Sandy Blvd, Suite B, Portland
Event page
Meg Cotner
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They’re having a sourdough event to kick off Passover?
I don’t think so. I read through it twice and I didn’t see anything about Passover. I’m just guessing but I Don’t think it’s to kick off anything actually I think they’re just having a sourdough event because we really like sourdough and had to pick some date.
National Sourdough Bread Day falls on April 1 and the Sourdough Showcase aligns with that – I think that’s really all there is to it. Another case of the sun and the moon duking it out in calendars created by humans. Technically, 4-6pm on April 1 is the day before Passover, but I know you are supposed to stop eating any chametz before noon that day. Good news for 2027: Passover starts the night of April 21!