How the Time of Year Shapes Us (and Even the Bread)

Did you know that sourdough bread needs to be treated differently based on the time of year?

It’s true. In the cooler (or downright frigid) months, the dough slows down. It ferments at a more leisurely pace, which means it takes its sweet time before it’s ready to be tucked into the fridge for its cold proof.

During these colder seasons, after the initial mixing and a couple of good stretch-and-fold sessions, my dough usually needs to rest for a solid 2 to 3½ hours before it’s grown enough to be divided, shaped, and tucked in for its chilly nap.

But in the summer? Oh, it’s a different story. The dough is eager, moving fast, sometimes ready in just 1½ to 2 hours. Everything is a bit quicker, a bit more energized.

And honestly… we’re kind of the same, aren’t we?

Summer tends to pull us into movement—longer days, fuller calendars, quicker rhythms. We go, we gather, we move. Just like the sourdough, everything speeds up a little.

But come fall, the pace naturally begins to shift. We start to settle. Nature knows how to slow down, and if we’re paying attention, it invites us to do the same.

Take our fall-sown flower seedlings, for example. All winter long, they sit quietly under the soil. From the outside, they look like they’re doing a whole lot of nothing. But underground, their roots are stretching and growing, quietly preparing for their spring bloom. Our perennials, too, start their gentle retreat—resting, storing energy, and trusting that their time will come again.

At The Flower & Dough, I’m moving with the rhythm too—kneading, baking, planting, and harvesting in step with the season.

So if you’re feeling the full buzz of summer right now—if your days are long and full and a little frenzied—you’re in good company. Just know that when the pace does eventually shift, as it always does, there’s rest on the horizon. Nature is already preparing for it. Those fall-sown seeds will soon tuck in and wait. The perennials will begin their slow exhale. And we, too, will find our way back to quieter days. But for now, it’s okay to be in the thick of it, trusting that slower seasons always come.