math of life

Do you remember when I shared the math of muffins?
And then the math of cake?
Well, there is a math of bread too.
I don't know why that seems like a revelation to me this morning.
The math of bread is just as simple as can be; for every loaf desired, a cup of liquid and three cups of flour. And the flour, so neatly divided in thirds should be added just that way, in thirds. The first cup will be stirred into the liquid containing the dissolved yeast and beaten into a smooth batter. This releases lots of gluten which equals texture. The second cup is then added to create a thick and sticky dough. The final cup is kneaded in. The larger the batch of bread, the longer you will need to knead. Hey, wouldn't that be a great bread cookbook title? The Need to Knead? or Needing to be Kneaded? Bread can be made without kneading but the dough is kept in the fridge and time creates the gluten and therefore the texture instead. A very different texture of course, but just as delicious.

Baking is more than technique and a mathematical formula though.
It's art.
The hand and heart of the baker are part of the magic.
And think of painting, or quilting for that matter.
They benefit from good technique, and an understanding of the math of art; the basic principles of design, but the hand and heart of the artist or quilter are part of the magic. The art itself becomes a reflection of the creators inner world; their dreams and passions.

We live in an ordered universe. There is the math of life so to speak. The earth revolves in a predictable pattern, the tides and moon likewise. There is DNA and the Periodic Table. But that doesn't explain the magic. The hand and heart of the Creator are there to see and tell us something about God, about His dreams for mankind and His passions.