I was up a lot during the night, as a spring stop trundled through around midnight, and again every couple of hours. Lightning flashes and rumbling thunder made for a restless night.

One week. One week since we lost our beloved dog.

The day proved just as stormy as last night was, so I took my sourdough starter out of the fridge, and fed her.

Six hours later, after the starter had more than doubled, I made a shaggy dough for my boulle sourdough loaf, and covered the bowl while I went to my next project.

Sourdough discard dark chocolate chunk cookies soon were mixed and scooped onto parchment paper, to slide into the oven, batch by batch.

While they filled my kitchen with the amazing scent of melting butter and sugar and Ghirardelli chocolate, I took most of the rest of my sourdough starter, and began to make bagels.

After the dough had mixed in the Kitchenaid mixer, I covered it, then put the cookies, now cooled, into containers.

Then it was time for stretch and folds with the sourdough. every 30 minutes, for two hours.

In between, I made dinner.

Finally, my bread dough was ready for her long bulk fermentation, and I covered her with a plastic cap and a clean linen cloth.

Just in time for the bagels!

I plopped the dough onto the counter, and cut it into 8 even pieces. I rolled each segment in my palms, placing them on counter to form into a bagel by sticking my thumb in the middle and stretching. Once they were all shaped, I covered them with the linen cloth, and started the water to boil while I pre-heated the oven.

Once then water was boiling, I put in the bagels – smiling while they floated, just as it said they would if the dough was right. This is my first attempt at bagels.

After a few seconds, I placed them on a parchment lined baking sheet.

I brushed them with egg wash, sprinkling half of them with everything bagel sprinkles.

Into the oven they went, to come out 22 minutes later. Amazing! I made them!

And I made it through the day.

Emotionally wrung out.

Physically exhausted.

In pain from my stage 4 arthritic knee.

Satisfied that I’ve made all of this, which I will disperse among my family.

This is the reason I bake. For the challenge.

For the pleasure.

For the sharing.

To keep me busy.