Simple Pleasures: The Joy of Baking
Baking day might sound terribly old-fashioned, but perhaps it’s exactly what we need to get centered and grounded after a week in the modern world. Kneading bread dough, measuring, mixing and then letting the heavenly scent of fresh bread or homemade cake waft through your home are simple pleasures not to be missed. These ideas will hopefully get you excited to roll up your sleeves and dive into a baking project this week.
Why bake? The lovely bakery down the street from my house turns out far more luxurious and professional pastries, muffins and sandwich loaves than I ever will, yet I still enjoy making the effort to bake at home from time to time. If you give baking a chance, you will likely find your own reasons to love it — for me, it’s all about the process: putting the kitchen to good use, getting my hands coated in flour, measuring, stirring, kneading and (best of all) sitting back while the intoxicating scent of baking bread fills the entire house. It’s a deeply satisfying, all-is-well-in-the-world sort of feeling that screen-based entertainment simply cannot match.
How to conquer a fear of baking. I’ll admit it: Baking is scary if you haven’t done much of it before. Especially baking with yeast. It might be helpful for your first attempts to think of it not as a cooking project, but as an experiment. Don’t worry about the end product (though chances are, it will be just fine); instead, focus on enjoying a new experience. Of course, there’s no need to ever bake yeast bread at home if that’s not your cup of tea. Try muffins, biscuits or quick breads instead — they make the house smell just as good, and they are beginner friendly.
Baking-day ideas. Seeking out delightful recipes to use on baking day can become a fun activity in its own right. You could set out to master some of the classics (white bread, a country loaf, tender biscuits) or just pick recipes that strike your fancy. You can also use your baking-day creation to round out a simple dinner, like homemade bread or savory scones with soup, or homemade bread sticks with a big salad. If you prefer sweets, there is a whole world of cakes, cupcakes and chocolate confections to explore.
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Simple Pleasures: The Joy of Baking
