Baking is a sacred thing. Why do we do it? Is it the satisfaction of creating something wonderful from a few ingredients? Is it because we like to get our hands dirty? Or perhaps it’s because it takes us on a journey and reminds us of a loved one we cooked with. Even a different time or place. For us, Baking is an act of love and passion.
Food can be a hobby and a true lust of life. Sometimes food can actually be life. We eat food because we need it to live. It is what gives us the nutrients that we need for our bodies to grow. Another reason we eat food is because of psychological reasons. If we are happy, we eat; if we are sad, we eat; boredom, depression and loneliness are other reasons that we eat. We also use food for social needs. When we have friends or family over we usually have some form of food to offer them, whether it be a light snack or a full meal. Food is a large part of all holidays and celebrations, not just the major ones we hear about often, but also small everyday family celebrations. Food and celebrations unite people in the same family, giving them a common bond. Celebrations of all sorts and the food that adorns them brings people from all over the world closer together around one table. And of all methods of cooking BAKING is what I love doing the most. Unlike other types of cooking, baking doesn’t require a lot of skill or intuition. If you have a good recipe, you follow it, and the deliciousness just sort of happens. Everyone thinks you’re a genius, but really you just know how to read and follow orders. Whether it’s cakes or desserts, savouries or snacks, getting my oven started is what I look forward to any day.
I love peering through the oven window to watch as loaves and cakes puff up. Yeast, baking soda, and baking powder — combined with the extra oomph of steam — supply airiness to bread and pastries. In an increasingly fast-paced and unpredictable world, baking has become the modern woman’s stress buster. We spend eight hours a day in front of a computer screen and rarely have something tangible to show at the end of it. Modern technology means we don’t switch off until we actually sleep. Baking is the antithesis to this. It’s physical. Methodical. It can’t be rushed. Follow a recipe step by step and you’re almost (almost) guaranteed a certain result. There is calm in its predictability; reassurance in its simplicity.
Baking is so much fun once you figure out how it’s done. It’s not a science, but an art where imagination reigns supreme. It can produce remarkable results, and most of the time they are for the best. Acquiring this skill works like a boon for those who must satiate their sweet tooth at all costs. It can magically transfer you from the real world to Heaven and put you in a good mood even on the worst of the days. And the best part – it is quick!
If you’re a creative person and looking for a way to expend some of it, then you can head straight to your kitchen and whip up some ingredients in a variety of combinations, anything that tickles your taste buds, really. A lot of people bake to unwind. If you take it in the right spirit, it can prove to be a relaxing hobby. For me, just the thought of the end result is enough to become motivated and bake up a storm. But for those, who don’t particularly enjoy it, know that baking can have a therapeutic effect on your senses because it makes your kitchen smell just so good.
Baking is super therapeutic for me. I can be having a bad day and just by baking a cake, turn that whole day around. It makes me happy. Immensely so.
I bake because it brings me into the community with people all over the world who also love to bake. Baking is about dealing with disappointment, burnt edges, bad recipes, and wasted ingredients. I bake because I love the look on someone’s face when they take that first bite and find out it does taste as good as it looks.
The balance of patience, knowledge and precision keeps me interested. And the memories of being young in those warm kitchens keep me satisfied.
“And when I bake for someone, I give them a little part of myself. It’s like giving someone a part of my heart every time”. I look up thoughtfully and shrug.
“I don’t know if I like the idea of people buying pieces of me. They are mine to give away when I feel like it. And that makes them special.”
People who love baking really love baking. For them, the perfect Saturday involves whipping together a cake; to them, a really awesome standing mixer represents the pinnacle of material possessions. For bakers, baking is more than a simple means to an end—it’s a way of life.
Whether you do it by yourself, with your kids, or with a friend, you’re sure to have fun when baking. Although it does require attention to detail at every step, it seems worth the effort when you watch your creation turn into a gastronomic beauty. And that’s the joy of it!
Do you enjoy baking too? Is there something in particular that you enjoy baking?
Share your experiences and thoughts on baking. Would love to hear from you.