Just B, Growing

I recently started baking bread. Very recent, like, 3 months recent.

I went through a dream phase of becoming my town’s local bread baker and learning all the nuances of sourdough, flour and how to develop that oh so picture perfect crumb.

I actually had planned on baking bread many years ago, but never did. I wanted to learn all there was about baking bread, but in reality I just scanned articles, blogs, and Pinterest until I eventually exhausted myself and gave up. The gap between vision and execution remained wide for me, until one day I just did it.

I recognized as the saying goes, that the best day to start was a year ago, but the second best day to start is today. I found a recipe for a starter, and went with it. Did I wake up and plan for this day to be “The Day?” No. It was much more simple. I knew I was not going to be an expert, or know everything and I knew I was going to make mistakes. I was okay with that. I was at the store and bought the flour, came home and mixed it with water and let it sit on my counter. Everyday I threw a lot of her out, and fed her, and repeated this over and over until finally I baked my first loaf. It was laughable with a huge hole in the middle. My husband and son ate it all the same. No one was hurt in processes. Success.

When starting anything, you’re a novice, and I am a novice at baking bread. After 10 loaves, I ventured into new territory, pizza dough! And then cinnamon rolls and then sourdough sandwich bread, which my son likes better for grilled cheese and avocado toast. I am still a novice but have moved the needle slightly toward proficient.

I bake every week, sometimes more, and the point of this is that I am growing because I keep on going. I’m not quitting, I’m asking more questions and trying new recipes. My town does have a local bread baker now, it’s not me, and one day I went into her shop and inquired about some of my failed loaves. I even showed her pictures of the sad sourdough. She was happy to offer me some tips. The next time I baked, there was a significant improvement, and I was thankful for her advice. In 10 years, I know baking homemade sourdough for my family is something I will be good at. I will know how to do it well, so it wont cause me as much mental and actual energy.

Most good things in life take time. In a year or two or three, bread baking will feel so normal to me, but my hope is that I will never stop growing my knowledge about it.

Have patience, ask for feedback and be flexible, repeat over and over again.

I have risen to this challenge. I have learned that best day to start is today, that everyone is a novice when they are learning something new, and that the only way to grow forward to keep going.

What challenge have you stood up too? How have you grown from taking the first step?