A Love of Baking - Let me count the ways
"Baking is cheaper than therapy." – Unknown
Baking bread is a fun, wholesome, mindful, creative, whole body and all senses, comforting, challenging, and an alchemical craft that is just wonderful.
I love baking bread, eating bread, and sharing the bread for others to enjoy.
What is it about baking bread that makes it so special?
Let’s look at the process to find out
Here are the steps involved:
Clearing and cleaning up the counter because it both helps me clear my work area and most importantly my mind to be present and in the moment
Doing the prep work by getting the bowls, containers, pans, and ingredients out and ready so I don’t have to look for them while I’m busy baking
Weighing each ingredient precisely to help me stay true to the recipe and help me move through the recipe confidently
Getting the mixer out, gathering the accessories and assembling it to help me develop the dough to the right consistency
Placing the ingredients in the order they need to be added to the mixer to prevent any mistakes
Mixing the dough, scraping down the sides of the bowl, and adding each ingredient carefully and thoughtfully and seeing it disappear within the dough
Patiently mixing the dough until it passes the window pane test and seeing the beautifully smooth and light dough and the feel of it as I put it in a container to proof
Making space for the dough in the fridge knowing the dough will develop a deeper flavor overnight which starts the hardest part of baking, the waiting
Taking out the cold bowl from the fridge the next day and letting the dough come to room temperature
Rolling the dough out on the counter and feeling it’s lightness and tackiness and taking a whiff of the wonderful small of the dough
Slicing pieces of the dough with the dough scraper and feeling the weight and texture of each piece
Weighing each piece of cut dough and realizing that the weight is a few grams short of exaxtly what I needed (My wife and I have a running challenge on who can get it exactly the right weight on the first try)
Shaping the pieces of cut dough into rounds by rolling it between your hand and the counter in circular motion
Letting the round dough pieces rest by putting a kitchen towel on top and waiting
Rubbing the bread pans with butter to make it easier for the bread to release once baked
Taking each round dough and rolling it, degassing it and hearing the air bubbles pop and shaping the dough
Rolling the dough into a tight log and positioning it in the right place in the pan
Spraying saran wrap with an oil spray and rubbing the oil across the whole plastic piece and covering the bread pan with the dough so it doesn’t stick to the dough
Putting the pans in the oven for the final proof in a warm area
Seeing the dough rise above the top of the pan and doing the poke test by pressing my finger into the dough to see how it bounces back
Removing the pans from the oven and setting the oven temp to the right temperature for baking the loaves
Removing the plastic wrap from the pans and placing them so they all fit in the oven on one rack
Spraying the hot oven with mist of water to make steam for the “oven spring” of the bread
Watching the bread rise in the oven as it bakes
Smelling the wonderful aroma of bread spreading throughout the kitchen
Hearing the beeping of the alarm on my phone to go check the bread in the oven
Using the thermometer to check if the bread has reached the right internal temperature
Taking the hot bread pan out of the oven and putting it on the counter to brush it with butter and letting it sit for a few minutes
Carefully removing the bread from the pan and placing it on the wire rack to cool
Impatiently waiting a few hours to let the breads cool but failing to wait because my family wants bread right now and just can’t wait so I have to sacrifice one loaf for our immediate consumption
Slicing a loaf of bread to make sure the crumb and crust looks great
Slathering butter on a warm steaming slice of bread and eating it as I fall into a state of bliss
Enjoying delicious, wholesome, homemade bread for the rest of the week
As I wrote this list I realized each step of the baking process is a tiny ritual that brings its own satisfaction while a complete focus is needed to successfully complete it.
Also, all my senses are involved when baking. Sight, taste, smell, touch, and hearing help reduce stress, stay present, and improve my focus for when any problems pop up.
The baking process also alternates between control and surrender. So the perfectionist in me gets its moment while also the letting go of control teaches me to go with the flow and trust the process because bread baking can’t be forced.
Baking is my me time. I get to work on something I love and it energizes me after a busy week.
Most of all baking is delightful. It is an activity that calls me in a low voice throughout the week and then on the weekend I can spend the time I need for baking.
What do you love about baking? Is it the prep, the precision, the challenge, or the enjoyment of the baked bread?
Share your thoughts in the comments!
The Way of The Baker is a new series within the Low Fidelity newsletter.
If you missed it you can read the introductory post below:
Introducing, The Way of The Baker, a new series
Like many people during the pandemic, I turned to baking to stay sane through those difficult times.
Stay curious!
Rizwan