How a loaf of brick bread changed my view on rushing things
I tried to rush a sourdough bake last week and ended up with a dense, inedible loaf. In my experience, baking fails often come from impatience, like not letting dough rise enough. This made me see that I do the same with my downtime, always filling quiet moments with tasks. Now, I force myself to wait during bakes, which has spilled over into taking real breaks. Your mileage may vary, but slowing down in the kitchen has cut my stress big time. It's a small win that started with a big fail.
Funny how a bad loaf can teach you more than a perfect one ever could. That forced waiting time has become my new measure for other stuff too, like not answering emails right away.
Yeah I read something about how always being "on" actually makes you less creative in the long run. They said empty time lets your brain make new connections. Your bread story is a perfect, kinda funny example of that lol.
My last brick bread happened because I skipped the second rise. It's a good, hard reminder that some things just can't be sped up (and honestly, the waiting is the best part now).