Okay, so yesterday I was just chilling, scrolling through TikTok, you know how it is, and I kept seeing this number pop up: 597. Like, everywhere. In comments, on random videos, even in the time stamps. It was kinda freaky. So, naturally, I googled “597 angel number” to see what the heck was going on.
Turns out, according to some websites, angel numbers are like, little messages from the universe, or your guardian angels, or whatever you believe in. And 597 apparently means you’re on the right track, making positive changes, and you should keep going. It’s about trusting your intuition and moving forward with confidence. Honestly, it resonated with me because I’ve been thinking about switching careers lately.
Anyway, I decided, “Alright, universe, I hear you!” I figured I’d take this angel number thing seriously and actually do something productive. I’ve always wanted to learn how to bake sourdough bread, but I’ve been putting it off forever. Seems like a good fit with the message I’m getting.
So, first thing this morning, I started researching sourdough starters. Watched a bunch of YouTube videos. Let me tell you, it’s way more complicated than I thought! I thought you just mixed flour and water, but nope. There’s like, feeding schedules and discard ratios and all this science-y stuff.
Then, I mixed up my starter. I used organic whole wheat flour and filtered water. Combined it in a glass jar, about half a cup of each. Covered it with a cheesecloth and a rubber band (because that’s what the internet told me to do) and set it on my counter. I also labeled the jar with the date and “Sourdough Starter – Day 1.” Felt pretty official.
For the next few days, I followed the feeding schedule. Discarded half the starter (felt so wasteful!), and added equal parts flour and water. Some days it seemed like nothing was happening, and I got a little discouraged. But I kept at it. The internet said to be patient, and I was trying my best. I checked on it twice a day. I felt like a mom tending to a newborn baby!
Finally, after about a week, it started to bubble! I was so excited! It actually looked like it was alive. I even gave it a name: Doughy. Yeah, I know, not very creative.
Once Doughy was active and bubbly, I decided it was time to try making some bread. I found a simple sourdough recipe online and followed it pretty closely. Mixed the starter with flour, water, and salt. Let it rest. Stretched and folded the dough. Let it rise again.
Baking day! I preheated my Dutch oven, shaped the dough into a round loaf, and scored the top with a knife. Carefully placed it in the hot Dutch oven and baked it for about 20 minutes with the lid on, then another 25 minutes with the lid off.
The moment I pulled that loaf out of the oven… oh man. It smelled amazing. It looked beautiful. It was a little wonky, but it was my wonky sourdough loaf. I let it cool completely before slicing into it. The crust was crispy, and the inside was soft and chewy. It was seriously good!
I definitely don’t think it’s just the bread itself, but the journey of sticking with it, learning something new, and believing that maybe, just maybe, I am on the right track. So yeah, that’s my 597 angel number story. I still don’t know if it’s real, but I’m gonna keep listening to my intuition and keep baking sourdough bread. Who knows, maybe I’ll open a bakery someday!
