Stopped by a bakery in Asheville and saw something that made me rethink my whole process

I was on a trip last week and went into this little bakery downtown. They had a big open kitchen, so you could watch them work. I stood there for like ten minutes just staring. The baker was making croissants, and I noticed she wasn't rushing at all. She'd fold the dough, then just let it sit on the marble counter for a full five minutes before the next step. At home, I'm always trying to hurry things along, checking the clock every two seconds. But watching her, it hit me that my fails probably come from not giving the dough enough time to just be. I always get nervous and start poking it or moving to the next step too fast. She wasn't even looking at a timer, just going by feel. It was so simple, but it felt like a big deal. Has anyone else had a moment like that, where seeing how a pro works totally flipped your home baking mindset?

2 comments

2 Comments

lily5742mo ago

Did my friend's sourdough get way better after he stopped watching the clock?

anthony_lane552mo ago

Totally! I stopped timing my rises and my loaves got way less dense almost overnight.