Phantom Bakers Sharing Sourdough Starter In Walnut Creek

Photo: The Phantom Baker

If someone famous hasn’t already said the true measure of a community is how it rises to help others during a time of crisis – we’ll say it now.

Over in Walnut Creek, outside the entrance to Buena Vista Elementary off San Juan Avenue, an anonymous baker with a talent for making sourdough bread is sharing the wealth with neighbors.

A self-help kiosk complete with a recipe and history of the starter – which is over 100 years old (attached below) – along with sample containers of precious starter are fresh and replenished every day.

And, yes, there’s also a link to a web presence. Now, all we need are some photos of the finished product – if you partake, let us know how your started ended up!

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28 Comments

  1. T Prentiss-Bascombe on Apr 26, 2020 at 8:02 pm

    Love this. We may have to take a drive soon!!!!

  2. Dan Archuleta on Apr 26, 2020 at 8:24 pm

    That is just so very cool.

  3. Candy McCorkell on Apr 26, 2020 at 8:25 pm

    So easy to share a little kindness, which is what will get us thru this Pandemonium. I gifted the Fed Ex and UPS delivery workers each with a tub of wipes I found I had stashed-you would have thought I had given them all of Christmas.What other random acts of kindness are going on out there? I also share my print (how quaint) newspaper with friends who enjoy it but don’t subscribe.

  4. Lourdes Meza-Castillo on Apr 26, 2020 at 8:33 pm

    Nicest thing I’ve seen all week. Thanks for posting!!

  5. Kelly B on Apr 26, 2020 at 8:40 pm

    I walk in that area and will look for it next time I go through. God bless Bakers Who Share!

  6. Holly Taylor on Apr 26, 2020 at 10:02 pm

    Does anyone have the recipe they can post? We would love to have it. We’ve been passing around a starter here in Santa Cruz/Aptos

  7. Charles on Apr 26, 2020 at 10:57 pm

    Nice.

  8. Phantom Baker on Apr 27, 2020 at 10:42 am

    HISTORY AND RECIPE HERE: My neighbor told me this got picked up as a story – so fun stuff, glad to see there’s interest and thought I’d check in here as the Baker behind the mask. If you’d like a soft copy of this starters history and the pancake recipe, feel free to email me at: ‘BuenaVistaSourdough@gmail.com’ and I’ll send that sheet to you. I also just brewed up a fresh batch of samples and will be restocking the Kiosk box daily. It’s just outside the front entrance to Buena Vista Elementary (off San Juan) in WC. It takes a Village so the more the merrier, and hoping this little project helps fight off any Cabin fever. Enjoy!

    • NEWS24-680 on Apr 27, 2020 at 11:18 am

      Ooooh, The Phantom Speaks! Yes!

    • Stephanie on Apr 27, 2020 at 9:27 pm

      Thank you! Made my starter batch tonight from your generous starter. Promise to pay it forward.

      • NEWS24-680 on Apr 27, 2020 at 9:33 pm

        Photos, please… we’re fans of sourdough!

    • S on Apr 28, 2020 at 7:08 am

      Thank you! I sent my husband to grab me one yesterday (after getting there at 8 A.M. to find none left). They were gone by 12:45 when he got there… however, my friend has a friend who lives in that neighborhood and grabbed me one! This is such a cool thing you are doing! I hope I can keep it alive….I’ve been trying to make my own for months now but I haven’t had any luck! Now that flour is scarce, I was afraid to keep trying. I’m going to give it another go!! I’ll freeze half incase I mess it up but I think it might be easier with an already started one! I’m super excited to try!!!

  9. Pat Price-Martens on Apr 27, 2020 at 4:54 pm

    Way cool and thanks to everyone involved!

  10. Alice on Apr 27, 2020 at 6:28 pm

    Love this — made my day.

  11. Amanda on Apr 28, 2020 at 11:29 am

    I just stopped by this morning and grabbed one. Thank you so much!!!

  12. Carol Flowers on Apr 28, 2020 at 5:51 pm

    Bless you Baker person!

  13. Teresa Glenn on Apr 29, 2020 at 12:44 pm

    How many people have shared this post now???

    • NEWS24-680 on Apr 29, 2020 at 1:14 pm

      Looks like about 260,000 have visited – that’s a lot of sourdough!

  14. Maresce on Apr 30, 2020 at 5:24 pm

    KInd of took off didn’t it?

    • NEWS24-680 on Apr 30, 2020 at 5:35 pm

      It did…

  15. Tracee on Apr 30, 2020 at 7:06 pm

    This makes me so happy to say I live here.

  16. Patty Mitchell on Apr 30, 2020 at 7:49 pm

    Now if I could only find flour!

  17. Sarah on May 6, 2020 at 11:45 am

    I made bread from their sourdough starter today in Dallas, TX.

    • NEWS24-680 on May 6, 2020 at 11:47 am

      Yeehaw! Stick a Lone Star flag in your loaf and send us a picture! And “howdy” to our friends and family in Texas!

  18. Brad on May 16, 2020 at 1:53 pm

    Phantom….. I give up….walked around for an hour…..can’t find it (4/16/20)….where is it?

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