Hello, my name Jonathan Sadowski. I am a new blogger here at MOTHER EARTH NEWS, and am looking
forward to being part of this great organization.
I love bread- and pizza-making — something I can remember mocking at an earlier point in my life. My inspiration to write about baking came recently when I kneaded out some dough efficiently across my pizza stone. I thought back to the first couple of time I tried kneading dough. My fingers would be totally encased in a sticky, white film. My dog, the counter, children, phones, and radios would also not be safe from the debris left behind an attempt to make artisan bread. My pizza, before being placed in the oven, would have some sections with big balls of dough puffing up, and other sections, no dough at all.
After I slid my good-looking pie into the oven, I thought, “It’s funny what a little practice and stick-to-itiveness can accomplish.” While I stared proudly at my postcard-worthy effort, I saw very clearly how my baking skills mirror a valuable life lesson: It’s all about trying something new; not getting it right the first, second, or third time, but sticking with it until you get it right, because with the proper knowledge, execution is only a matter of practice.
What makes bread and bread-making special to me is its universality. I am taking part in a tradition older than time. I am searching for cutting-edge ingredients, cooking and prep methods. People living in the Arctic and on the equator make bread.
As my sweaty, reflective moment continued, I realized it was only a matter of time before bread-making and I fell head-over-heels for each other. Its aforementioned international-ness fits with my love for travel and languages perfectly. Its infinite amount of recipes gets along great with the experimenting I enjoy in the kitchen. Its nutritional versatility (100 percent whole grain vs. sweet bread with extra butter) is a good match for my “work hard, play hard” outlook on life. The cost effectiveness locks eyes with my cheapskate side and never looks away. Lastly, the time and patience required to make quality bread is undoubtedly a soul-mate for my laid-back attitude towards life, which often gets pushed around by this “constant connectivity” digital thing going on these days.
Bread-making also allows me entrepreneurial opportunities. As the son of two entrepreneurs, the itch to
become one myself has finally found a way to be scratched. I began to be more and more surprised, when eating artisan bread from specialty shops that mine was on par with many loaves out there. Between all I have said about bread-making, and my upbringing, it was only natural that I open “20/20 Bakery.” This project is in its infancy, and I will share the process of developing a home business on this blog. I will provide informative posts with detailed descriptions of the many steps involved in getting your home-made goods from raw materials to the customer’s hands.
While the business will take a lot of writing, I will also share recipes and profile people and companies that share my passion for bread-making. I will travel throughout the Northeast U.S. and Southeastern Canada meeting unique bread-makers and sharing their stories.
Thank you for reading and I look forward to taking part in this blog!
