[Food] Is sourdough really the best entry point into home baking?

[RusticRidge]

Sourdough got recommended to basically everyone as the ultimate beginner baking project, especially during the pandemic era when it genuinely exploded in popularity. The appeal makes sense on paper, no commercial yeast required, genuinely impressive final results, and a whole community built around sharing starters and tips. Curious whether people think it actually deserves that beginner recommendation or whether it's a genuinely rough first project

The counterargument is pretty strong honestly, since sourdough involves maintaining a living starter, understanding fermentation timing that varies constantly with temperature, and tolerating a genuinely high failure rate before your first actually good loaf. Simpler yeasted breads teach the exact same core kneading and proofing skills without nearly as much unpredictable variability involved. Feels like sourdough might actually be a genuinely intermediate project wearing a beginner reputation

What's your actual pick for the best true beginner baking project. Genuinely curious what people think teaches the fundamentals without the frustration