100th loaf of bread and it finally felt like mine

I hit my 100th loaf this past weekend, nothing fancy, just a plain white bread for sandwiches. I kept a little notebook since I started baking two years ago and the count surprised me when I added it up. The first 30 loaves were dense bricks or flat disks, I almost quit around number 15 after a bad proof. But somewhere around loaf 60 I stopped following recipes to the gram and started feeling the dough instead. That 100th loaf had the perfect crumb and a crackly crust, I actually laughed out loud in my kitchen. How long did it take you guys to feel like you could eyeball a dough and trust yourself? That moment when you stop measuring feels like a bigger win than any bake itself.

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pat_roberts552mo ago

Loaf number 87 here and I still weigh every single gram like a lab tech. Two years in and I dont trust my hands at all, my kitchen scale gets a workout every time. Eyeballing dough feels like a great way to end up back at brick city, and my first 30 loaves were proof enough that I cant wing it. You say loaf 60 changed things for you, but I think that's just when you got lucky with your kitchen temp and humidity. Baking is science, not vibes, and the moment I stop measuring is the moment I start wasting flour and time. Different strokes, but I'll take consistent sandwich bread over a happy accident any day.

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