When the COVID-19 pandemic brought Trinidad and Tobago to a standstill, it also shattered the livelihood of Rio Claro resident Alana Boodoo.
The single mother watched her small home-based catering business collapse almost overnight after public health regulations prohibited the sale of prepared foods. What had been the family’s primary source of income vanished, leaving her struggling to provide for her children.
Several years later, Boodoo is still rebuilding her life.
She survives on part-time jobs while raising two school-aged children, but she has found a new purpose, and a growing business, in the centuries-old craft of artisan sourdough bread.
“What happened during COVID forced me to start over,” Boodoo recalled. “There were days when I wondered how I was going to keep food on the table. I knew I had to learn a new skill that people would appreciate.”
Boodoo’s love for cooking began long before the pandemic. She received formal culinary training through cooking classes offered by the Ministry of Community Development, where she developed the skills that later enabled her to operate her home-based catering business. Although the pandemic forced that venture to close, the knowledge she gained became the foundation for her latest enterprise.
Instead of giving up, she turned back to her passion for food and discovered artisan bread-making.
Today, the kitchen that once produced catered meals is filled with the aroma of freshly baked sourdough loaves. Alongside baking to order, Boodoo has started teaching others how to make artisan bread from scratch.
“Sourdough is more than just bread,” she said. “It’s patience, science and passion all working together. Every loaf tells its own story.”
Unlike ordinary bread made with commercial yeast, sourdough relies on a living starter, a naturally fermented mixture of flour and water that cultivates wild yeast and beneficial bacteria. Creating a healthy starter can take more than a week and requires careful feeding and strict attention to cleanliness.
“If your starter isn’t healthy, the bread simply won’t rise properly,” Boodoo explained. “Many people become frustrated because they don’t realise how delicate the process is.”
To make the craft more accessible, she plans to begin selling mature sourdough starter cultures to home bakers.
“I want to remove one of the biggest hurdles for beginners,” she said. “A good starter gives you confidence and a much better chance of baking a beautiful loaf.”
A labour of patience
Making sourdough is a slow, carefully timed process that usually spans two days.
It begins by combining an active starter with flour and water before salt is added to form a sticky dough. Instead of vigorous kneading, the dough is gently stretched and folded several times during the first few hours. This strengthens the gluten while maintaining the dough’s airy structure.
The dough is then left to ferment at room temperature. During this stage, the wild yeast produces carbon dioxide while naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria develop the distinctive tangy flavour that sourdough lovers cherish.
Once the dough has doubled in size, it is shaped into a round or oval loaf and placed into a proofing basket before spending the night in the
refrigerator. The cold fermentation further develops flavour, strengthens the crumb and makes the dough easier to score before baking.
The following day, the loaf is baked in a preheated Dutch oven or on a baking stone. Steam generated during the initial stage of baking allows the bread to expand fully, producing its signature crisp, caramelised crust and soft, open interior. Only after cooling completely is the loaf ready to be sliced.
“It isn’t fast food,” Boodoo said with a laugh. “You can’t rush sourdough. The bread teaches you patience, and when you cut into a loaf you’ve nurtured from start to finish, it’s incredibly rewarding.”
More than just bread
Beyond its rich flavour and rustic appearance, sourdough has gained popularity for its nutritional benefits.
Because the dough undergoes natural fermentation, the starches and proteins begin breaking down before baking, making the bread easier for many people to digest. The lengthy fermentation also reduces phytic acid, allowing the body to absorb important minerals such as iron, zinc and magnesium more efficiently.
Studies have also shown that sourdough generally has a lower glycaemic index than conventional white bread, helping to slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream. Traditional sourdough recipes also contain only a handful of ingredients, typically flour, water and salt, without the preservatives commonly found in many commercially produced breads.
“It’s bread made the old-fashioned way,” Boodoo said. “People tell me they enjoy the flavour, but many also say they feel fuller for longer and find it easier to digest.”
Because every loaf is handcrafted, Boodoo limits the number of orders she accepts each week to maintain quality.
“My customers understand that artisan bread isn’t mass-produced,” she said. “They appreciate the time, care and love that goes into every loaf.”
Despite the encouraging response from customers, Boodoo continues to search for stable full-time employment. For the past two years, she has applied to numerous organisations but has yet to secure permanent work.
“I’ll keep applying because I need a steady income for my children,” she said. “But until that opportunity comes, I’ll keep baking. Every loaf I sell helps pay a bill, buy groceries or cover school expenses.”
For Boodoo, every golden loaf emerging from her oven represents far more than artisan baking. It represents resilience, hope and the determination to rise again.
