Just realized I baked exactly 100 loaves of bread this year according to my notes

I keep a little baking journal and counted up 100 loaves exactly since January, which is way more than I thought. Turns out I finally stopped burning the bottoms after loaf number 47, but now my crusts are too thick on sourdough. Has anyone else hit a random number milestone and noticed a shift in their skills around that point?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_piper1mo ago

Is hitting 100 loaves really supposed to be some kind of breakthrough moment? I mean, I've burned plenty of batches of cookies past batch 200 and my chocolate chip technique is still a mess. Seems like you just got patient enough to watch the oven more carefully, not some mystical skill jump at exactly loaf 47. Thick sourdough crusts honestly sound like you're using too much steam or baking too hot, not a side effect of hitting triple digits.

terrymitchell1mo ago

Funny you mention that, @the_piper, because I actually noticed something similar when I hit around 80 loaves on my own journey. My technique with bread definitely clicked around that point, but it wasn't a magic number thing. It was more like I finally stopped fighting the dough and started just paying closer attention. For me, the thick crust issue on sourdough went away when I backed off on the steam in the first 10 minutes and lowered my oven temp by 25 degrees. Your mileage may vary, but that shift in patience you mentioned sounds exactly right. It's less about the count and more about just watching and learning each time.