The Mindful Baker

There’s something slightly ironic about the fact that sourdough becomes wildly popular every winter. The clocks go back. It gets dark at 4pm. Everyone suddenly remembers they own an oven. Social media fills with people posting photos of vaguely circular loaves that look somewhere between artisan bread and a geological event. And thousands of people decide this is finally the year they’re going to “master sourdough.” Which is brilliant. Except winter is actually one of the har

Let’s start with the image. You’ve got a lump of sourdough sitting there, looking like it’s just found out its mortgage has gone up, its dog’s run away, and someone’s just told it gluten is bad for you. It’s slumped. Deflated. Slightly offended by life. If dough could sigh, this one would be doing it loudly. And yet… this is exactly where the magic starts. Not when everything looks perfect. Not when the dough is smooth, tight, and Instagram-ready. But right here, in the messy