Balancing Life, Work, and a Whole Lot of Dough

At Little River Baking Company, we like to think of ourselves as masters of balance. Not the kind where you stand on one leg in yoga class (though that might help) — but the kind where you’re trying to juggle sourdough fermentation schedules, full-time jobs, and, oh yeah, real life.

From my side of the kitchen: I’m a nurse in the corporate world. My job is already a mix of science, deadlines, and careful scheduling — so naturally, I thought, “What’s one more thing to schedule? Let’s add sourdough starters!” And let me tell you, nothing quite humbles you like realizing your bread cares less about your corporate calendar and more about whether you fed it at exactly 7:02 a.m.

My daughter, meanwhile, is pulling her own balancing act at Wilkes and at home. Between caring for her grandparents, work, and life, she’s somehow found time to shape bagels with a smile (well…most mornings). Together, we’ve learned that bakery life means a lot of 5 a.m. wake-ups, flour in places we didn’t know flour could go, and occasionally realizing that while the bread dough rose perfectly…we completely forgot to check the mailbox.

Or take the garbage cans to the street. 

Honestly, some weeks, our neighbors probably wonder if we’re testing just how long garbage cans can sit at the curb without shame.

But here’s the thing: baking has become our shared rhythm. The early mornings, the meticulous fermentation schedules, the laughter when something doesn’t quite turn out (and we call it “rustic”), all of it has turned into a reminder that balance doesn’t mean perfect. It means giving your best where you are, whether that’s in front of a register, in an office, or in front of a mixer.

Sometimes, that looks like perfectly golden scones cooling on the rack. Sometimes, it looks like reheated coffee at 2 p.m. because we forgot we poured it.

And we wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Because at the end of the day, when someone takes a bite of our bread, cookie, or scone and smiles — all those 5 a.m. alarms and missed mail deliveries feel worth it.

So if you see us out on the street, yes, we’re the ones sprinting to drag the garbage cans back up the driveway at 9 p.m. with flour still in our hair. But we’re also the ones up before sunrise, laughing together, and baking something we hope makes your day a little brighter (and tastier).