Where it all started

The night we met was like any other. I was wrapped in my grandma-esque nightgown, fully intending to be a responsible college student studying for my psychology exam. Instead, I found myself conducting what I would generously call “ research” on TikTok.

About an hour into my highly productive scrolling session, a baker appeared on my screen, her expression one of quiet determination, as if she had been appointed the enchantress of sourdough. She worked the dough with the serene focus of someone who had spent a lifetime humming to bird songs and baking in a sunlit cottage. Flour dusted her kitchen with every swift move, until she kneaded with such sudden force that I started to wonder if the dough had personally offended her. If bread had feelings, this one was definitely rethinking its existence.

I was intrigued. Then, as if conspiring against my academic ambitions, TikTok’s algorithm took over. My feed became an endless stream of sourdough bakers—each with a calming, vibey, aesthetic.

Being the crafty person that I am (and perhaps a little too susceptible to curated social media posts), I decided to go on a little side quest and make a loaf of sourdough.