Consistency Is a trap

From the sales figures that I gather from my business, I see something very clearly. The more public holidays we have, the more bread we sell. Not because people suddenly need more bread. But because they finally have time to eat it properly.

In the industry, we are taught to aim for consistency.

Same shape. Same texture. Same result every day.

It sounds correct. It builds trust. It makes operations easier.

But it also creates something else.

Expectation.

Once expectation is fixed, the work changes. We stop responding to the dough. Instead, we start correcting it to match what people expect. This is where machines, additives, and systems slowly take over.

Not because they are bad, but because they solve the problem we created.

The problem is not the dough.

The problem is that we no longer allow it to vary.

In my bakery, the bread changes slightly. Some days more open. Some days tighter.

Some customers notice. Some don’t. But that variation means we are still working with something alive. Not controlling it completely.

Consistency is not wrong.

But if we chase it too far, we end up making bread that no longer needs us.