No Yoga exercise, no hour of meditation … will leave you emptier of bad thoughts than this homely ceremony of making bread.
– M.F.K. Fisher, The Art of Eating
I love baking bread. It’s one of the first things I started making from scratch and it’s so worth it. I was pretty young when I started my baking career. I remember making bagels and other delicious bread with my mom when I was in jr high. I’ve been baking ever since. I mostly focus on breads since I don’t have much of a sweet tooth.
There’s just something about homemade bread, it tastes so much better than store bought, it saves money, and it provides a connection with the past.
When I first started making bread I make traditional recipes made with fresh yeast. After mastering those recipes I decided to tackle artisan breads using the delayed fermentation method from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. When I’d learned to make delicious artisan bread, I started learning more about grains and starting grinding my own grain for baking. I then turned my attention to learning to make sourdough breads. The thought of using wild yeast was fascinating to me. Not only are sourdough breads tasty and delicious, but they’re much healthier as well.
I find making bread enjoyable and deeply satisfying on a basic level.
Perhaps it’s being able to make something delicious for my family. Or the wonder of mixing flour with yeast and water and kneading it into a delicious loaf. Maybe our emotions are nourished as well as our bodies when we form a hands on connection with what we eat. I’m not quite sure what it is, but I know that it’s something I’ll be doing for the rest of my life.
Do you have an activity you do that is deeply satisfying to your soul?
I can also be found at Chiot’s Run where I blog daily about gardening, cooking, local eating, beekeeping, and all kinds of stuff. You can also find me at Not Dabbling in Normal.
