Sourdough bread has gone viral again. This time, it’s for the wrong reasons, writes Varsha Anjali. 

On August 22, Texas resident Maria Barradell unveiled a bowl of what looked like raw dough before panning her phone camera to a window. Through it, you saw a jet’s wing and clouds way below. She captioned the Instagram reel: “Making sourdough bread in [sic] my flight to Spain.” 

The crowd went wild. But not in the way Barradell would have hoped. 

Since the Covid pandemic, social media content featuring making sourdough bread became The Thing To Do. As Emily St James of Vox noted in an article: “Bread baking is a thing we do in a crisis, perhaps because bread is one of the very foundations of human civilisation, and perhaps because it has been marketed to us as life-giving.” 

In other words, if you didn’t see people kneading dough on your “For You Page” four years ago, firstly, I am envious - you probably weren’t on social media, because it was everywhere. 

But for Barradell, demonstrating the myriad wonders of sourdough bread on social media isn’t just a boredom killer during a global crisis - as a home bakery owner, it’s her schtick. 

The mum of five’s bread content on Instagram typically garners a few dozen comments. However, the one of her making sourdough bread on a flight to Spain to “surprise” her sister racked up more than 1400 comments. Instead of admiring Baradell’s ability to ferment - quite literally - sky-high, commenters were quick to criticise her actions, labelling them “inconsiderate”. 

But why? 

The backlash 

The blowback against Baradell’s video on social media was swift and unforgiving. 

With more than 8000 likes, the top comment remarked on the absurdity of the act, saying: “Imagine you settle into your seat and the person next to sets up a camera and starts taking out bowls, ingredients and making bread,” followed by three tombstone emojis. 

Some others thought the act was not only disgusting but rude too. “As a flight attendant, I’m gonna say: Ewwwww … Enjoy your germ-bread. That’s an airplane - not a bakery. Learn some manners, people … please,” commented one user. 

Many pointed out the seeming disregard for people with gluten and wheat sensitivities. “If I was sat next to you, I would ask for a new seat immediately and a full refund because it would make me sick for several weeks to just inhale the flour. Please be more considerate next time,” raged another commenter. 

Baradella responded to the mountain of criticism on August 26, saying she was “trying to be creative” and commenters had helped her see that it “was not a great idea”. 

Can you make bread on an NZ flight? 

Perhaps the better question is, should you? 

Kneading and folding dough with live cultures mid-air is a baffling sight. Barradell may have been roasted for her actions - but in New Zealand, it’s unlikely you would even be able to get that far. 

“Passengers should not bring in any raw food mixes as these could contain honey or egg, which are against our biosecurity rules,” said a spokesperson for the Ministry for Primary Industries, which manages the country’s biosecurity regulations. 

People suffering from severe food intolerances also face risks when flying. Air New Zealand states on its website that while all flights that provide meals have a gluten intolerance option, it “can’t guarantee there will be no trace of gluten on the aircraft or in your meal”. 

It went on: “If you have a severe reaction to gluten, we suggest taking the same precautions you normally would when eating at a restaurant.” 

However, for general food intolerances and health requirements, airlines, including the national carrier, are usually able to help if they are alerted in advance - for example, ordering a special meal or allowing you to bring your own food. 

If feeling rebellious, it might be best to avoid lunging for the bowl, the whisk and the sourdough starter.