The Crowd, the Bread, and This Moment

on kneading, bubbling, and the present moment

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

So I have been making bread lately, specifically sourdough bread.

The image that is accompanying this writing is of a beautiful loaf, a gorgeous artisan loaf, . . . but that is not my loaf. This image is not my achievement. Not yet anyway.

What I have accomplished is buying flour, “feeding” my sourdough starter, allowing it to sit and rest. Then in time it will bubble and grow. This container has become a “vigorous starter” with routine feeding and maintenance.

Now, if you are unfamiliar with the art/science of sourdough, I give to you my new-found and limited knowledge. You begin a “wild” starter by allowing the natural yeast and bacteria that exist in your environment to enter the starter. You simply start by putting some flour and water in a jar. And while you can add yeast to make things happen faster, all you really need is what is already around you.

Then you wait.

You let it sit and rest, loosely covered because the starter needs to have air. It needs to breathe.

And what you will notice is that with the bacteria and naturally-occurring yeast in the air, the warm temperature of a room, the nourishing environment that the flour and water provide…