An Entry Tuesday, September 15, 2026
The Thiccctionary
← Back to the archive
Sourdough boule on a wooden table.

Plate CX. Sourdough boule on a wooden table.

Photo by Spring Fed Images on Unsplash

Sourdough Boule

/SOW-doh BOOL/  n.
  1. 1. A round, free-form loaf of naturally leavened bread characterized by a wide, settled crown and a crust so taut it could be described, in raking light, as architectural; esp. one whose equatorial circumference exceeds what a standard bread box was designed to accommodate.
  2. 2. colloq. Spherical bakery output that arrives on the table like it has already won. The bottom crust is load-bearing. The scoring on top is decorative, but the silhouette does not need it.
In a sentence:

"The farmers-market baker set a thiccc sourdough boule on the wooden table and it immediately became the table's entire personality. The other loaves were garnish."

Etymology:

From French boule, 'ball,' from Latin bulla, 'bubble, rounded object,' attested in Old French from the 12th century; combined with English sourdough, from sour (Old English sur, 'fermented, acidic') plus dough (Old English dag, 'paste of flour and water'). The bread is named for its shape and its attitude, in that order.

From the desk

Filed by

Eliza HartwellStaff Writer

It would not fit in a bread box, so I am making it the catalogue's problem.

Ruling ADMITTED UNDER PROTEST

Bart PrussSenior Cataloguer

Not 'architectural.' Structural. The crust is load-bearing in spirit. Admitted on the dome alone.

In the margin

Teddy VanceJunior Cataloguer

The equatorial circumference exceeding a standard bread box is not a flaw, it is a referendum on bread boxes and I think the bread box lost.

Also received REJECTED

Constance PribylDirector of Editorial Operations

Submitted: a breadstick. A breadstick also comes from dough and also has a crust, so in spirit it is a cousin of the boule.

Bart PrussSenior Cataloguer

It is a stick, Constance. A stick of bread. No.

Frequently asked

Is a sourdough boule thiccc?

Yes. Sourdough Boule was admitted to the Thiccctionary on September 15, 2026 and filed in the Foods of Substance section. The ruling on file: Admitted under protest. Every subject in the catalogue is judged on its curves, not its size.

What makes a sourdough boule thiccc?

Spherical bakery output that arrives on the table like it has already won. The bottom crust is load-bearing. The scoring on top is decorative, but the silhouette does not need it.

Is "thiccc" spelled with three c's?

Yes. The Thiccctionary house spelling uses three c's, distinguishing the editorial register from the colloquial "thicc" (two c's) and standard "thick" (one c).

Sources

  1. Photograph by Spring Fed Images, via Unsplash. Catalogued under plate CX.
  2. Direct ruling URL: thiccctionary.com/is/sourdough-boule-thiccc/, the shareable "Is a sourdough boule thiccc?" page.
  3. Cross-reference: Thiccctionary A-Z, S.
  4. Catalogued under: Foods of Substance. See related entries below.
  5. Editorial review: ruled admitted under protest by the desk. Objections on file.

Like it? Get the next one in your inbox.

Or follow on Instagram · Facebook · X · YouTube · RSS

Show me a random entry →

Run a blog? Embed today's entry on your site.