Vent: my mom's sourdough critique made me rethink my whole process

So last Saturday my mom watched me feed my starter and she goes, 'you know, you're way too precious with this thing. It's flour and water, not a baby.' I laughed it off but then she pointed out that I weigh every gram, keep a feeding log, and panic if the temp drops two degrees. She's been baking bread since the 80s and just eyeballs everything, and honestly her loaves come out better than mine. It hit different because she wasn't being mean, she was just tired of watching me stress over something that's supposed to be fun. I spent the next two days baking without a scale or a timer, just feeling the dough, and it was weirdly freeing. The first loaf was a bit flat but the second one had that open crumb I've been chasing for six months. Has anyone else had a family member cut through your overthinking and actually improve your baking?

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1 Comment

the_mary17d ago

Strictly, rules are just guardrails until you learn the road, then they hold you back. Good on your mom for shaking you loose, sometimes the best teacher is someone who just doesn't care about your panic.