Passenger on Long-Haul Flight Makes Load of Sourdough Bread in the Cabin

A woman with a passion for sourdough has taken bread-making to new heights on a recent flight to Spain.
Maria Baradell (@leafandloaf on TikTok)—a 37-year-old originally from Venezuela now residing in Dallas with her husband Scott and their five children—documented her experience of making sourdough bread on a flight from Chicago to Barcelona, Spain.
The video, which was captured on August 18, has garnered 1.9 million views since it was posted on August 22 and sparked both admiration and controversy among TikTok users.
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Baradell, who was traveling with American Airlines, embarked on her journey from Dallas to Chicago before boarding the second leg of her trip to Barcelona. The video opens with a message overlaid on the screen: “Making sourdough on a flight to Spain. I want to surprise my sister with a fresh loaf of bread.”
In an interview with Newsweek, Baradell explained how she managed to get the necessary ingredients past airport security. “TSA inspected my bag in Dallas since I had flour in it (which of course can look suspicious). The flour, salt, and sourdough starter passed the TSA tests. A lot of people are wondering how I got past security with these items, but they are allowed and a lot of people in the sourdough community travel with their sourdough starters. We like to make bread wherever we go.”
The footage shows her combining flour and water to create a sourdough starter, followed by scenes of her stretching and folding the dough before letting it sit for its bulk fermentation process.
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Sourdough bread-making took the internet by storm during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with people spending more time at home during lockdowns.
The global sourdough market size is projected to hit $3.5 billion by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.7 percent during the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, a market research firm headquartered in San Francisco.
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Baradell was inspired to work on the bread mid-flight after seeing a similar TikTok video of someone making pasta on a plane. “A while back I saw this post on TikTok of a girl making pasta in-flight, and I thought that was a genius idea,” she said. “Sourdough bread-making takes time, so I figured a long trip like this would be perfect for it.”
The reason behind this airborne baking adventure was personal for Baradell. “I had not seen my siblings in six years, and when my brother-in-law passed away earlier this year, I decided it was time I made the effort to go visit my own siblings. I wanted to share my new passion for sourdough bread with my siblings, especially my sister, since I would be staying at her house.”
Throughout the flight, Baradell was careful not to disturb her fellow passengers. “It was actually a very quiet, uneventful flight. I was mindful not to bother anyone,” she noted. “I boarded 15 minutes before my seatmates, which allowed me to mix the ingredients really quickly, before they even sat down. As soon as they sat, I told them what I was doing and asked them if it was okay. They were a couple, and the girl said she had always wanted to learn how to make bread and was excited about my experiment. They were so nice.”
Despite the unusual activity, Baradell said that most passengers and crew members remained unaware of her in-flight bread-making. “I don’t think any other passenger noticed what I was doing. The crew members didn’t notice or didn’t care because I really wasn’t bothering anyone. There was no smell, I kept everything clean, and I was brief and quiet with every step.”
Some TikTok users raised concerns about hygiene and the potential health risks for passengers with gluten allergies. Addressing these concerns, Baradell said “I know some people commented there were germs on the plane. Not only does this bread get baked (at home) at 450°F degrees, which would kill any germs, but I used hand sanitizer before every step and used sanitizing wipes on all surfaces before I even started.”
The passenger noted that the bread tasted “perfectly fine” after it was baked at her sister’s place and they “enjoyed every bit of it with Spanish ham and olive oil.”
Reflecting on the experience, Baradell acknowledged that she would not repeat the experiment. “I wouldn’t try this again because it was brought to my attention that the flour could be a risk to celiacs [those who have celiac disease, which is triggered by ingesting foods containing gluten] on the plane since the air is recirculated. I figured it would be okay since they were serving bread and other meals with gluten on the plane, so this wouldn’t be much different. But I learned something new from the comments on my post.”
The National Celiac Association warns that for those exposed to airborne flour, “there is potential” for the flour to get into the nose, mouth, throat and be swallowed into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and “therefore, we do not recommend that people with celiac disease be exposed to breathing in flour, and should avoid baking or other activities that cause flour to be dispersed into the air.”
Baradell’s journey into sourdough bread-making began earlier this year and quickly grew into a passion. “In January of this year, I discovered sourdough bread-making and fell in love. I started gifting bread to my neighbors who loved it so much they asked if they could buy it weekly. So I got licensed and started selling my breads. My home bakery grew quickly, and I am now making 60+ loaves of sourdough bread for my community.”
Baradell hopes to inspire others with her passion for bread-making. “I have shared in many videos that my mission is ‘bringing bread back to America’ and the world. My dream is to have a bread baker in every neighborhood, like back in the old days, and I contribute by inspiring more home bakers to bless their communities with good, healthy, gut-friendly bread.”
The viral clip has had mixed reactions from TikTok users, with some appreciating the woman’s innovative approach, while others raised concerns.
ImtheCreativeOne noted: “Hi, As a fellow bread lover and baker, this is insane” and Loane said “that’s crazy actually.”
ROLLIN IN THE DOUGH said: “Omg I am obsessed!!!!” and JJ Brooks said: “This is, without a doubt, an original experience.”
Consistently Caroline wrote: “This is unhinged in the most incredible way” and user2852771236543 said: “I mean who else can say they’ve made sourdough bread from scratch in airplane … very nice thought.”
Jillian asked: “What about people who have severe allergies?” and rhymeswithbowie said: “Crying in allergic-to-wheat.”
Travel & Lifestyle UGC noted: “This is so cool but All I can think of the bacteria in the air.”