Jennifer Blacklock Blog

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything”

James 1:2-4

A key step to making good sourdough is the “stretching”. After mixing the ingredients and letting the dough rest, it should be stretched- literally grabbed and pulled up and out of the bowl until the rest is hanging beneath, stretching the entire lump, then folded over itself and pulled again until it’s been stretched several times. This process is repeated again and again.

Stretched over and over again, the gluten in the dough develops, gaining strength. The more it is stretched, the stronger the dough becomes, which makes it possible for the air bubbles to hold their shape inside instead of collapsing.

Stretching produces strength.

I used to think it didn’t matter whether or not I stretched the dough and as a result ended up with consistently dense, flat, so-so loaves. My dough didn’t have a strong network of gluten to give it the desired shape, inside or outside. It was fine, but lacking.

It wasn’t as good as it could be.

God wants us- Christians, those who have believed in Jesus as the only way to eternal life- to develop into all that He can make us. So he stretches us. He produces endurance in us by allowing and ordaining trials and testing.

Knowing this doesn’t make the trials and tests less difficult, but what great hope and joy it gives to be aware that our wonderful Creator- the Potter, the Author- is shaping us and forming us and developing us that we may glorify Him more!

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Romans 5:1-5