Baking · by Zeynep Demir · 2026-09-16

I tried doing sourdough the boring way and it worked for absolute beginners

Part of me wanted the fancy version with all the tools. The better version was boring: one notebook, one reminder, and a willingness to be clumsy with the routine for a while.

> Tiny progress is still progress.

That line sounds cheesy, but it got me through the part where sourdough stopped feeling new.

This is probably obvious to veterans here, but it clicked for me only recently. pastry got easier when I stopped treating every attempt like a final exam.

Part of me wanted the fancy version with all the tools. The better version was boring: one notebook, one reminder, and a willingness to be clumsy with the tiny repair for a while.

44 sparks · 8 comments

Comments

Jonas Schneider · 5 likes

Honestly, great taste. I learned that one the expensive way.

Maya Williams · 3 likes

I disagree a bit. tried matters, but the bigger issue is usually expectations. The 4-minute rule is underrated.

Pixel Otter · 1 likes

Amazing how much difference one small change can make. For me it came down to the setup.

Aoife Murphy · 1 likes

Do you think this would work in a smaller place than Lisbon?

Mia Anderson · 1 likes

This feels a little overrated to me, even if the intention is good. This is more useful on a tired lunch break than on a perfect day. Now I'm hungry, which feels unfair.

Urban Atlas · 0 likes

Excellent timing; I was just thinking about tried. The Melbourne example makes it feel concrete.

Zeynep Demir · 1 likes

I like this more than the top-level advice.