Entry No. 4 | On Small Rituals

Before it becomes nourishment, bread is time.

There is no shortcut to dough rising slowly in a quiet kitchen. Nothing efficient about mixing, waiting, shaping, and waiting again. But there’s comfort in that rhythm—flour on the counter, warm water poured by hand, the pause between steps. It’s a ritual that invites care.

And then, as it bakes, the scent arrives. Not perfumed, but alive. Grain, yeast, steam. A kind of presence that fills the air and anchors you in it.

Some rituals—like baking bread or tracing scent along the pulse—ask for nothing more than your attention.

A way to come back to stillness.

—Ariel

Summer Savory Boule
(from the personal archive)

A rustic, coastal-inspired bread with subtle herbal depth.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups whole wheat bread flour
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• ¾ tsp sea salt
• 1½ tsp dried summer savory
• 1¾ cups warm water

Instructions:

1. Mix Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, and summer savory.

2. Add Water
Pour in the warm water and stir until a sticky but cohesive dough forms. It should be loose but not runny.

3. First Rise
Cover the bowl with a clean cloth or plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature for 2 hours.

4. Cold Ferment
Transfer the dough to the refrigerator and chill for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

5. Prepare for Baking
Remove the dough from the fridge and let it stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
At the same time, place a Dutch oven (with lid) into the oven and preheat to 450°F.

6. Shape the Dough
Lightly flour a surface.
Turn the dough out and gently fold it over onto itself a few times.
Flip the dough onto a piece of parchment paper and shape it into a round ball.

7. Bake
Carefully place the parchment and dough into the heated Dutch oven. Cover with the lid.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid and bake for an additional 12 minutes, until deep golden brown.

8. Cool
Lift the bread out of the Dutch oven and transfer to a wire rack.
Let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes:

• Summer savory adds a subtle herbal note, evoking the salt air and slow mornings of the coast.
• For a crisper crust, let the bread cool completely before cutting.