More Than Bread.

People often think the hardest part of sourdough is baking the bread. But even though it takes two full days, that part might actually be the easiest.

I’m a full-time student, working harder than ever to become a Registered Dietitian. I also run a small sourdough business whenever I’m home down the shore. It’s fun and creative, but it challenges me in ways I didn’t expect. It’s taught me a lot about time, energy, and commitment.

If there’s one thing I took from years of playing college soccer, it’s time management. And sourdough demands every bit of it.

I feed my starter on Wednesday night and again Thursday morning before heading to a full day of classes. After school, I drive straight to the shore with my active starter riding in the passenger seat and bags of flour in the back. At some point earlier in the week, I had to make time for a Costco run to grab that flour. When I get to the kitchen, I unload everything and get to work immediately. I spend about an hour mixing dough by hand, then check in every 30 minutes for stretch and folds over the next couple of hours. By the time the dough is resting, my 15-hour day is done.

Friday morning, I wake up early and shape around 40 loaves. Once they’re tucked into the fridge, I get in a walk and catch up on homework before the oven goes on in the evening. I plan the bake so that all the local shore deliveries are ready for Saturday morning drop-offs. The packaging often happens around 3 in the morning, sometimes after getting home from a night out, because the loaves are still too hot to bag earlier.

Cherry Hill loaves are baked Sunday night. Philly orders and shipped loaves are baked Monday morning. Somewhere in the middle of all that, I’m back in class, studying, and making food for my family and friends.

It’s exhausting and unpredictable, but it’s also exciting and fulfilling. This is so much more than baking bread. It’s a way of learning, growing, and building something from scratch, literally. I wouldn’t want it any other way.