Weekly Breadcrumb is a weekly series where I look back on what baking has taught me, shown me, or reminded me over the previous week. A lesson, or gift, I have received from baking.
This week, I made two batches of rolls, using the same recipe on different days. I’ve made these rolls before – once successfully, and once unsuccessfully, as I wrote about last time.
It made me think about the value of repetition – basically, that doing something again and again really helps you understand the craft. You become familiar with how the dough (or task at hand), should feel and look. You know what to expect and figure out little tricks to improve next time. Having made something several times definitely does not guarantee a successful outcome in the future, but it gives you a good chance.
It can also give you confidence in doing that simple thing, and maybe you’ll get an idea for a way to change what you’re making. For example, now that I know how those rolls turn out, next time I might decide to add something to the dough (cheese? an herb?) and see how that goes. I wouldn’t necessarily try this on a brand-new recipe.
I think this translates to real life as well. When you complete a task for work, if you’re asked to do it again, now you know what to do differently (or the same) next time!