Hit 500 loaves of sourdough today, felt kinda weird about it

Honestly I just kept a tally on my phone cause I was curious, and this morning I looked and it was exactly 500. Started baking during that weird lockdown spring in 2020, just a basic starter from some guy on Reddit. It took me like 40 tries before I got a loaf that didn't look like a hockey puck, and now I can do it blindfolded. Has anyone else hit a random number that made them stop and think about how far they've come?

4 comments

4 Comments

hill.margaret22d ago

@ellis.faith that part about "it took me more like 30 to get something I'd actually show someone else" really hit me. I remember reading that professional bakers say it takes about 100 loaves before you really understand the dough, and that felt impossible at first. But now hitting 500 feels less like a skill and more like a habit I can't shake. It's funny how the bad loaves teach you more than the good ones ever do. Starting from a reddit starter in 2020 seems like a lifetime ago.

the_jana22d ago

That bit about professional bakers saying it takes 100 loaves is so real. Its like the first 50 are just you fighting with the dough and the next 50 are you finally getting along with it. The bad loaves do teach you more though, I still think about my first few flat bricks way more than any perfect one.

wesleyb2022d ago

Gotta correct you on one thing, it wasn't exactly 40 tries before you got a good loaf. I know cause I've been there too. My first decent sourdough was around try 15 or 16, but it was still dense and kinda flat. It took me more like 30 to get something I'd actually show someone else. The timeline thing is wild though, I hit 200 loaves last month and realized I'd been baking for almost 4 years straight. Never thought I'd be that person who has a dedicated bread drawer in their freezer.

ellis.faith22d ago

Oh come on, you're telling me that first decent loaf around try 15 or 16 counts? That's like saying a 75% on a test is passing when you were aiming for a B. If it was still dense and flat, it wasn't a good loaf, it was just a not terrible one.