Fresh Bread, Slow Weekends, and the Beauty of Making It From Scratch 🍞

I recently had a real taste for avocado toast.

Not the rushed, store-bought kind, but the kind that feels intentional. The kind you make on a slow weekend when you finally have time to enjoy being in your kitchen.

So instead of grabbing a loaf from the store, I decided to make my bread from scratch.

I had just purchased a new bread oven, and honestly, I was excited. It felt like the perfect excuse to slow down, enjoy the process, and bake something with purpose. I didn’t rush it. I let the dough rise overnight. I paid attention. I appreciated every step.

 

 

And when that bread came out of the oven, I could immediately taste the difference.

 

There’s something special about fresh bread that hasn’t been sitting on a shelf. No preservatives. No shortcuts. Just flour, water, yeast, salt, and time. The crust was crisp, the inside was soft, and the flavor was so much richer than anything store-bought. It reminded me why planning matters when you want to eat well.

Fresh bread doesn’t last long, and that’s the point.

You either enjoy it the same day, share it, or store it properly in the refrigerator or freezer. It’s not meant to sit around forever, and I actually love that. It encourages intention. It encourages mindfulness. It encourages you to slow down and be present with your food.

That’s the beauty of baking.

I had so much fun making this loaf, from activating the yeast to shaping the dough, to slicing into it once it cooled. Turning it into avocado toast felt like a small reward for taking my time. Simple toppings. Good bread. Nothing fancy, but deeply satisfying.

 

This whole experience reminded me how much I enjoy making my food from scratch and keeping things as whole as possible. Cooking and baking don’t have to be complicated to be meaningful. Sometimes it’s just about choosing to do things differently, even in small ways.

 

So yes… baking is officially my new hobby.

And in 2026, I plan to bake more.

More bread. More intention. More slow weekends in the kitchen.

🫛

With love,

Stacey