10 Things Baking Bread Has Taught Me
As you may know, if you follow me on social media, I have embarked on a new hobby. Like some of my other hobbies this is quickly turning into a business as more and more people are sampling my breads, giving me feedback, and begging for me to take orders. What started as a date night in a sourdough baking class for me and my husband is now turning into a way of life and routine for us.
Baking bread is more than measuring flour and setting timers—it’s a sacred rhythm. In the simple act of kneading dough and waiting for it to rise, I’ve discovered powerful truths about life, faith, and our walk with God.
My grandfather, Robert Y Thomson, was my first best friend and he baked his entire life to support his family. As I have been diving into his recipes and reflecting on the time I had with my grandfather in the early days of my life, I have been on quite the journey of lessons in this stage in my life. Here are ten things baking bread has taught me—each one paired with a verse that continues to nourish my spirit. I wrote this post to share with you my lessons in hopes that you will find instances in your life that cultivate this type of learning as well.
1. Patience is a Virtue
You can’t rush a good rise. Bread teaches you to wait—because some of the best things in life require stillness and time.
Romans 8:25 – “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
2. Rest is Necessary
Dough needs rest to become what it’s meant to be. We’re no different. Rest isn’t a luxury; it’s a part of how we were created to function.
Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
3. A Little Leaven Goes a Long Way
A small amount of yeast affects the whole loaf. Just like a small seed of faith or a single act of kindness, it multiplies.
Matthew 13:33 – “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
4. You Can’t Control Everything
Some days, the bread flattens, spreads, or cracks. Despite your best efforts, it’s not always perfect—and that’s okay.
Proverbs 3:5 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
5. Broken Things Can Be Beautiful
That split in the crust or uneven loaf? It still feeds. There is beauty in brokenness—and grace in imperfection.
2 Corinthians 12:9 – “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
6. The Best Things Take Time
Slow proofing leads to rich flavor. Life is similar—the slow seasons often develop the deepest character and the most profound purpose.
James 1:4 – “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
7. You Learn by Doing
Books help, but the real growth happens with your hands in the dough. Likewise, faith becomes real when lived, not just studied.
James 1:22 – “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
(It took my 4 different tries to get my loaf even remotely resemble a bunny for our spring celebration)
8. Community Matters
Bread is meant to be shared. It’s more fulfilling when broken at the table with others—just like love and life.
Acts 2:46 – “They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.”
9. Don’t Skip the Kneading
Kneading is hard work, but it builds structure. The challenges in life shape us in much the same way.
Romans 5:3–4 – “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
10. God is in the Details
The scent, the crackle, the transformation—it all points to the Creator. He is present even in the most ordinary places.
Psalm 34:8 – “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”
Baking bread has become a classroom of grace for me. It whispers reminders of who I am, who God is, and how He works—in slow, unseen, and deeply nourishing ways.
May your kitchen be filled with the aroma of fresh bread and the presence of the One who gives us daily bread.