A woman with a passion for sourdough took bread baking to a new level on a recent flight to Spain.
Maria Baradell (@leafandloaf on TikTok) — a 37-year-old originally from Venezuela who now lives in Dallas with her husband, Scott, and their five children — documented her experience baking sourdough bread on a flight from Chicago to Barcelona, Spain.
The video, recorded on August 18, has been viewed 1.9 million times since its release on August 22, sparking both admiration and controversy among TikTok users.
Baradell, who was traveling on American Airlines, began her journey from Dallas to Chicago before embarking on the second leg of her trip to Barcelona. The video begins with an on-screen message: “I’m making sourdough on a flight to Spain. I want to surprise my sister with a fresh loaf of bread.”
In an interview with NewsweekBaradell explained how she managed to get the necessary ingredients through airport security. “The TSA inspected my bag in Dallas because I had flour in it (which of course can look suspicious). The flour, salt, and sourdough starter passed TSA testing. Many people wonder how I got through security with these items, but they are allowed and many people in the sourdough community travel with their sourdough starters. We enjoy baking bread no matter where we go.”
@leafandloaf on TikTok
The footage shows her mixing flour and water to make a sourdough starter, followed by scenes of her stretching and folding the dough before leaving it to rest for the main fermentation process.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when people spent more time at home, sourdough bread baking took the internet by storm.
According to a new report by Grand View Research, a San Francisco-based market research firm, the global sourdough market size is expected to reach $3.5 billion by 2025, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 5.7 percent during the forecast period.
“Passion for sourdough bread”
Baradell was inspired to work on the bread mid-flight after seeing a similar TikTok video of someone making pasta on the plane. “A while ago I saw this post on TikTok of a girl making pasta on the flight and I thought it was a genius idea,” she said. “Baking sourdough bread takes time, so I thought a long trip like this would be perfect for it.”
The reason for this aerial baking adventure was personal for Baradell. “I hadn’t seen my siblings for six years, and when my brother-in-law passed away earlier this year, I decided it was time to visit my own siblings. I wanted to share my new passion for sourdough bread with my siblings, especially my sister since I would be living with her.”
Throughout the flight, Baradell was careful not to disturb her fellow passengers. “It was actually a very quiet, uneventful flight. I was careful not to disturb anyone,” she noted. “I boarded 15 minutes before my seatmates, so I was able to mix the ingredients really quickly before they even sat down. Once they were seated, I told them what I was doing and asked them if it was OK. They were a couple, and the girl said she’d always wanted to learn how to make bread and was excited about my experiment. They were so nice.”
Despite this unusual activity, Baradell said most passengers and crew were unaware of her in-flight bread-making. “I don’t think any other passengers noticed what I was doing. The crew members didn’t notice or didn’t care because I really didn’t bother anyone. There was no smell, I kept everything clean and I did each step quickly and quietly.”
Some TikTok users raised concerns about hygiene and potential health risks for passengers with gluten allergies. Baradell addressed those concerns, saying, “I know some people commented that there were germs on the plane. Not only is this bread baked (at home) at 230°C, which would kill all germs, but I used hand sanitizer before every step and cleaned all surfaces with disinfectant wipes before I even started.”
The passenger noted that the bread, after being baked at her sister’s house, tasted “absolutely good” and she “enjoyed it to the fullest with Spanish ham and olive oil.”
Looking back on the experience, Baradell admitted she wouldn’t repeat the experiment. “I wouldn’t try it again because I realized that the flour on the plane could pose a risk to celiacs (those who suffer from celiac disease caused by eating foods containing gluten) because of the air recirculation. I thought it would be OK because the plane served bread and other gluten-containing foods, so this wouldn’t be much different. But I learned something new from the comments on my post.”
The National Celiac Association warns that people exposed to flour in the air are at risk of the flour entering the nose, mouth and throat and entering the gastrointestinal tract through ingestion. “Therefore, we recommend that people with celiac disease do not inhale flour. They should also avoid baking or other activities that expose flour to the air.”
Baradell’s journey into sourdough bread making began earlier this year and quickly developed into a passion. “In January of this year, I discovered sourdough bread making and fell in love. I started giving bread to my neighbors who liked it so much they asked if they could buy it weekly. So I got a license and started selling my bread. My home bakery grew quickly and I now bake over 60 loaves of sourdough bread for my community.”
Baradell hopes to inspire others with her passion for bread baking. “I’ve shared in many videos that my mission is to ‘Bring Bread Back to America’ and the world. My dream is to have a bread baker in every neighborhood, like in the old days, and I’m contributing to that by inspiring more home bakers to enrich their communities with good, healthy, and digestible bread.”
“Insane” and “Original”
The viral clip has drawn mixed reactions from TikTok users, with some appreciating the woman’s innovative approach and others expressing concerns.
ImtheCreativeOne commented, “Hi, I’m also a bread lover and baker and I think this is insane,” and Loane said, “This is actually insane.”
ROLLIN IN THE DOUGH said, “Oh my god, I’m obsessed!!!!” and JJ Brooks said, “This is without a doubt an original experience.”
Caroline agreed: “This is crazy in the most unbelievable way,” and user2852771236543 said: “I mean, who else can say they made sourdough bread from scratch on an airplane…very nice idea.”
Jillian asked, “What about people who have severe allergies?” and rhymeswithbowie said, “Crying about a wheat allergy.”
Travel & Lifestyle UGC noted, “This is so cool, but all I can think about is the bacteria in the air.”
