Don't give up mate , it's a very rewarding talent to possess.
I just mentioned this Samuel Beckett quote to
@Straw - Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.
My wife and I and my son run an accommodation business and about 10 years ago we were finding it very difficult to source good bread locally, so I decided to start making it, well as you can imagine, just like you, with no formal experience, it was a pretty fucking dismal start, excuse my French, but I persevered and the results started to get better and better with every batch I made. In the end I actually perfected a great loaf, an old style country split covered in sesame seeds, just divine, lightly toasted with of coarse lashings of butter. The punters loved it.
Nothing is more satisfying in life than the smell and taste of good fresh bread.
The irony of this story is, I can't actually eat it myself any more, as I am non coeliac gluten intolerant, life does suck sometimes. LOL