Alright, folks, let’s dive into something I’ve been wrestling with lately. It’s this whole idea of “giving it your best” and still feeling like it’s falling short. I’ve been on this journey, and boy, has it been a bumpy ride.
It all started a few months back. I decided to take on a new project – learning how to bake sourdough bread. Sounds simple, right? Wrong. I watched countless videos, read articles, and even joined a couple of online forums. I was determined to nail this.
My First Attempt (and Many Fails After)
- I followed the instructions meticulously. I mean, I weighed everything, timed everything, the whole nine yards.
- The first loaf? A flat, dense, sour-tasting brick. Seriously, you could’ve used it as a doorstop.
- I tweaked the recipe, adjusted the baking time, changed the flour… you name it, I tried it.
- Each loaf was… different, but not in a good way. Some were too sour, some were too dense, some were just… weird.
I keep trying,adjusting,and learning.
And that’s where the frustration started creeping in. I felt like I was giving it my all, putting in the effort, and still… nothing. It wasn’t just about the bread, either. It felt like this was happening in other areas of my life, too. Like I was pushing and pushing, but not getting anywhere.
The “Aha!” Moment (Sort Of)
Then, after what felt like my hundredth failed loaf, I had a bit of a realization. I was so focused on “doing my best” according to what I thought was right, that I wasn’t really paying attention to the process. I was following the rules, but I wasn’t understanding why those rules existed.
So, I started experimenting. Not just tweaking things randomly, but really trying to understand what each ingredient did, how the temperature affected the dough, and how the different stages of the process worked together.
I started using different flours, not just because the internet said so, but because I wanted to see how they behaved differently. I started adjusting the hydration (the amount of water) based on how the dough felt, not just what the recipe said.
Still Not Perfect, But…
Am I a sourdough master now? Nope. Not even close. My loaves are still far from perfect. But they’re better. And more importantly, I’m enjoying the process more. I’m learning, I’m experimenting, and I’m actually starting to understand what I’m doing.
So, is my best effort enough? Maybe not in terms of achieving some perfect outcome. But it’s enough to keep me going, to keep me learning, and to keep me striving for something better. And that, I think, is what really matters.
It is a long way to go, and I will keep moving on!
