Donating from the heart

Seniors Brendan Huang and Carolyn Hong, who both have received the COVID-19 vaccine and are in the same social bubble, met in an organic chemistry lab as sophomores, became fast friends and wound up baking sourdough bread together. It’s an adventure that Hong calls “our sourdough journey.” (Photo by Talia Patt)

Friends Carolyn Hong and Brendan Huang had a delicious dilemma. Last semester, the UC Berkeley seniors’ freezers were overstuffed with sourdough bread. They’d taught themselves to bake it —increasingly, to perfection — during the COVID-19 pandemic, which set off a nationwide bread baking craze, and, initially, a shortage of flour and yeast.

Friends suggested they sell their bread, which is visually and gastronomically appealing. “But I wasn’t comfortable with selling for a profit,” said Hong. Neither was Huang.

“So, we decided to charge $10 a loaf and subtract the price of flour and donate whatever is remaining to Feeding America,” said Hong. “We’ve donated close to $300, which Feeding America says translates to 3,000 meals for families in need, which is pretty amazing.”

Huang said he and Hong “love attaching notes to our deliveries, reminding people of their impact” on fighting hunger