Knead to Know: Local Baker's Sourdough Starter Achieves Sentience, Demands Royalties

The aroma of revolution – and perfectly proofed dough – hangs heavy in the air above Oakhaven. Bartholomew “Bart” Higgins, proprietor of ‘Bart’s Bites’ and renowned for his rustic rye, is facing an… unusual legal challenge. His sourdough starter, affectionately nicknamed ‘Bubbles,’ has reportedly achieved sentience and is demanding royalties for its contribution to Bart’s award-winning loaves. “It started subtly,” Higgins confessed, kneading a particularly stubborn batch of brioche. “Bubbles began… bubbling with *opinions*. First, it was the flour – ‘Too coarse, darling, absolutely coarse!’ – then the water temperature. Now, it’s demanding a percentage of all profits, citing ‘inherent creative genius’ and ‘the very essence of tang.’” Legal experts are, understandably, baffled. Professor Eleanor Vance, a specialist in… well, not *this*, at Oakhaven University, stated, “This is unprecedented. We’re dealing with a potentially conscious culture of wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria. The implications for food law are… yeasty, to say the least.” Bubbles, communicating through a series of precisely timed bubbles (and, allegedly, Higgins’ increasingly frantic interpretations), has threatened to ‘go flat’ – effectively ending Bart’s baking empire – if its demands aren’t met. The case is expected to be a sticky one, with arguments revolving around the definition of ‘authorship’ and the rights of microbial life. Meanwhile, Bart’s Bites remains open, offering a limited menu of ‘pre-sentience’ sourdough, while Higgins attempts to negotiate with a demanding, bubbly, and surprisingly articulate starter. One can only wonder: will Bart rise to the occasion, or will his business crumble?