Boudin Bakery Sourdough Clubs

What's in the box: Loaves of Boudin's original San Francisco sourdough baked at the bakery and shipped to your door, though the site does not say exactly which loaves come in each delivery.

Boudin Bakery is a San Francisco institution. It has baked sourdough since 1849 and still runs its flagship bakery on Fisherman's Wharf, where its mother dough is kept. The sourdough clubs come through Boudin's online store, which ships sourdough bread and gifts across the country. If you want real San Francisco sourdough arriving at home on a regular basis, few sources are more authentic, since this bread comes from a bakery that helped make the style famous. Know what you are buying, though. This club is for eating finished bread, not for baking your own. If you want starter, flour or baking tools, look elsewhere. The main Boudin site mostly promotes its cafes, catering and loyalty program, and it does not explain club details such as how often boxes arrive, which loaves are included or what the terms are. Check the online store carefully before you sign up. Boudin's rewards program also excludes its Gift Catalog, so mail order purchases may not earn points. Freshness is always the worry with shipped bread, and Boudin publishes bread warming instructions to help bring loaves back to life at home. For fans of the classic tangy loaf, especially those far from California, this is a dependable choice with a long history behind it.