Bread.

It’s all in the repetitions. Every day, the bread gets baked off; the flour, water, salt, and levain gets mixed; the dough gets folded; the dough gets divided and preshaped; and then the dough is shaped and left in the walk-in to proof overnight. After a few bakes, you begin to understand how the movements from the previous day influences the final crumb and crust. The dough will show your mistakes, your imperfections, and your energy. You must pay attention to the length of the mix time, dough temperature, outside humidity, hydration level, levain activity, and how you handle the dough during each fold and division. While we measure all the ingredients consistently, the real skill you obtain through repetition is understanding the dough through touch.

Nothing compares to the sounds of fresh bread crackling out of the oven and tearing the warm loaf for a “taste test.” I am forever grateful to have grown with the Grey Barn Team on their beautiful farm working with their beautiful bread. From waking up before and with the sunrise every morning, to the incredible flour we worked with (stone milled flour from Ground Up Grain), I appreciated every loaf I shaped and baked off in that beautiful bakery.