Alumni Digest.

Ideas · Alumni Digest original

A nurse finds her rhythm in sourdough

Rachel Pardoe's pandemic baking habit grew into an online audience and a cookbook, while nursing remains part of her working life. Published in Alumni Digest as verified reporting from the University of Toronto.

Rachel Pardoe's pandemic baking habit grew into an online audience and a cookbook, while nursing remains part of her working life.

In the September issue
Rachel Pardoe pictured with a basket of sourdough bread
Rachel Pardoe with a basket of sourdough bread. Photo: Marianne Rothbauer. Source image retained for editorial review; rights clearance is still required before any broader reuse.

The context

Where the work begins

Rachel Pardoe began baking seriously in 2020 while working in community health, raising a young child and expecting another. Sourdough gave the Bloomberg Nursing graduate a creative outlet during an unsettled period. Decorative scoring caught her attention, and sharing her experiments eventually brought more than a million followers across social platforms.

The takeaway

What follows

Her debut cookbook, Sourdough Everything, includes classic loaves, more demanding recipes and ways to use leftover starter in foods such as pancakes and pasta. Pardoe encourages beginners to read visual cues rather than worry only about temperatures. She has stepped back from full-time nursing but still works casually in community health, bringing its emphasis on empathy to her online community.

Keep reading

Get the next story in your inbox.

One considered email when a new issue is ready. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Continue reading

You might also like

See all stories
Ideas · 3 min read

Arda Minocherhomjee returns support to doctoral students

The pharmacology graduate and private equity investor has committed to a research award after scholarships helped fund his own education.

Read story
Ideas · 3 min read

Fieldwork helped Hargun Rekhi find her place

A summer at Koffler Scientific Reserve preceded campus sustainability work on waste, clothing swaps and a conference connecting college groups.

Read story
Community · 2 min read

U of T ties among national honourees

The December 2025 Order of Canada appointments recognize university community members working in law, medicine, education and the arts.

Read story