Our Christmas Traditions This Year | Homemade Gifts & Simple Preparation

This year, our Christmas traditions have felt quieter and more intentional. In this video, I’m baking sourdough bread in bulk for homemade gifts, preparing simple food ahead of time, and sharing what our Christmas looks like this season, from gift-giving to time with our kids.

The baking and cooking are part of the rhythm, but this video is more of a conversation about slowing down, choosing meaningful traditions, and preparing in a way that creates peace instead of pressure.

I’m baking sourdough loaves for gifts with a simple olive oil dip, and cooking chili alongside it, ordinary work that supports a full season.

Below are my bulk sourdough baking notes for anyone who asked.

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Bulk Sourdough Baking Instructions (Baking Phase)

Oven Temperature:
Preheat ovens to 450°F with Dutch ovens inside.

Baking Process (Two Ovens, Rotating Loaves)
1. Once ovens are fully preheated, carefully place one shaped sourdough loaf into each hot Dutch oven and return them to the oven.
2. Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on.
3. After 20 minutes, remove the loaves from the Dutch ovens and place them directly on the oven rack next to the Dutch ovens.
4. Immediately place two additional loaves into the Dutch ovens and return them to the oven for another 20-minute bake.
5. Continue rotating loaves this way — moving baked loaves to the rack and loading new loaves into the Dutch ovens — until all loaves are baked.
6. Loaves finished on the rack are baked until the internal temperature reaches 205°F.
7. Repeat this rotation process until all sourdough loaves are fully baked.

Notes on Bulk Baking
• Using two ovens allows multiple loaves to bake efficiently without sacrificing oven spring.
• Baking in stages keeps the Dutch ovens hot while allowing loaves to finish evenly on the rack.
• Internal temperature is the most reliable indicator of doneness when baking in bulk.

This is the way I bake when preparing multiple loaves at once — not rushed, not complicated, just steady and repeatable. It allows me to prepare ahead so the season itself can stay present and unhurried.
Olive Oil Herb Dip (For Sourdough Gifts)

This is the simple seasoning mix I use to infuse olive oil for gifting alongside sourdough bread. It’s flexible, aromatic, and meant to be adjusted by taste.

Seasoning Mix
• Unrefined sea salt
• Crushed red pepper
• Dried oregano
• Dried basil
• Dried thyme
• Dried rosemary
• Dried marjoram
• Dried onion
• Dried red bell pepper
• Garlic powder

To Make the Dip
Add the seasoning mix to good-quality olive oil and let it sit so the flavors infuse. Taste and adjust as needed. The longer it rests, the more developed the flavor becomes.