Lessons from a Sourdough Fail: Why You Can’t Rush the Process

I’ve been on a bit of a sourdough kick lately. I enjoy seeing the toasty loaf  fresh from the oven. There’s something magical about nurturing that little starter into a delicious loaf. So, when we had guests coming over for dinner the other day, I thought, “Why not make sourdough dinner rolls?”

But, here’s the thing—I tried to rush the process. I was sure I could make it work and have them ready in time. Spoiler alert: it didn’t. I ended up serving under-proofed, doughy dinner rolls. Definitely not what I had in mind.

Here’s the surprising part, though.  I didn’t feel embarrassed. I apologized in passing but didn’t beat myself up. I saw it as a learning experience. I had rushed the process, and it didn’t work. Simple as that.

This shift in my mindset has taken years. Years ago, I would have been completely tied up in knots over a mistake like that for days. I would have replayed it in my head, thinking about what I should’ve done differently. This time I realized I had grown. I’ve learned to see “flops” differently—they’re part of the journey.

You can’t rush the process.

And that doesn’t just apply to sourdough. It’s the same with so much in life. We want to rush healing. We want to hurry our kids growing up or rush into excellence without putting in the time. But just like with sourdough, rushing the process rarely works out the way we hope.

Why Rushing Doesn’t Work

Whether you’re baking or working on yourself, it’s tempting to take shortcuts. But rushing often leads to less-than-desirable outcomes—doughy bread, unhealed wounds, unfinished growth. The real magic happens in the waiting, in the slow and steady progress.

Learning from the “Flops”

Mistakes aren’t failures if we learn from them. I’ve learned that life’s “flops” can be the best teachers, whether in the kitchen or in relationships. The key is to stop beating yourself up and instead ask, “What did I learn from this?”

And isn’t that what life is all about? It’s about learning from the flops, embracing the journey, and giving yourself the grace to make mistakes along the way.

In the end, the process is what makes us who we are. We can’t rush it, and that’s okay. Life’s better when we slow down, savor the moments, and trust that everything happens in its own time.