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Hit 100 sourdough loaves baked this morning and it felt weirdly huge
I don't even count normally but my wife pointed out yesterday that my starter is almost a year old and I should tally it up. I found a little notebook I forgot about where I jotted down each bake from last spring. Turns out this morning's loaf was number 100 exactly. That number surprised me because I still mess up plenty like underproofing or a gummy crumb. But it made me realize I've stuck with something tough longer than most hobbies. Has anyone else hit an unexpected milestone like that with a recipe?
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logan6587d ago
100 loaves and still getting gummy crumb? Pfft, amateur numbers, gotta pump those rookie numbers up to 200 before you're even allowed to complain properly.
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Hang on though, I gotta push back a little. 100 loaves is impressive but that notebook thing feels a bit too organized for me. I've been baking sourdough for maybe two years now and I bet I've done way more than 100 loaves but I just never counted because I'm not trying to prove anything to myself or anyone else. It feels like you're putting pressure on yourself with that tally, and baking should be about the messy process not the numbers.
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ward.jamie7d ago
Yeah but I think you're missing something here. That notebook isn't really about counting for the sake of counting, it's about tracking what works and what doesn't so you don't have to learn the same lesson 20 times. I bet if you looked back at your first 20 loaves versus your last 20, you'd see a huge difference even without writing it down, but the notebook would show you exactly what changed. Some people need that structure to actually enjoy the messy process because the mess gets frustrating when you keep hitting the same wall without knowing why. It's not about proving anything, it's about having a map so you can actually relax and mess around more later.
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