Baking through a Keene winter

13 October 2026

In January the bakery is cold when we open the door at two, and everything slows down.

The oven takes longer to heat, so we light it earlier. The dough rises more slowly, so we mix it warmer and give it longer in the baskets. And the starter needs a warm shelf near the oven's wall.

None of it shows in the bread, which is the point: the loaf on the shelf in January should be the loaf on the shelf in July.