Why We Should All Roll Up Our Sleeves and Bring Back 'Baking Day'
Fill your house with a heavenly scent and your heart with cheer by making time to bake
Laura Gaskill
12 February 2015
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Decluttering course + discount for Houzzers: https://www.lauragaskill.com/welcome-houzzers
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More
Baking day might sound terribly old-fashioned, but perhaps it’s exactly what we need to get centred 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 loaves of bread 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.
The lovely bakery down the street from my house turns out far more luxurious and professional pastries, muffins and loaves of bread 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 cupcakes instead – they make the house smell just as good, and they are beginner friendly.
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 cupcakes 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 savoury 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.
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 savoury 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.
Set up your kitchen for baking
It doesn’t take much equipment to bake at home, no matter what those glossy catalogues dropped in your letterbox may claim. People have been baking all sorts of goodies since time immemorial, without the aid of a standing mixer or food processor. That said, if you do own these items, by all means dust them off and put them to work! The essentials, though, include liquid and dry measuring cups, measuring spoons, wooden spoons, a cutting board, a bowl scraper, a pastry cutter and a few baking sheets and pans. Anything else is icing.
More: Kitchen Benchtops Worth Baking For
It doesn’t take much equipment to bake at home, no matter what those glossy catalogues dropped in your letterbox may claim. People have been baking all sorts of goodies since time immemorial, without the aid of a standing mixer or food processor. That said, if you do own these items, by all means dust them off and put them to work! The essentials, though, include liquid and dry measuring cups, measuring spoons, wooden spoons, a cutting board, a bowl scraper, a pastry cutter and a few baking sheets and pans. Anything else is icing.
More: Kitchen Benchtops Worth Baking For
Try a little mise en place action
This French term simply means ‘to put in place’ – in other words, get everything you will need for your cooking project prepped and ready before you begin. Scrub your benchtops, empty your sink, check the recipe, gather ingredients and pull out all of the necessary tools and measuring devices. A bit of preparation can prevent catastrophe; you don’t want to realise halfway into your recipe that you are out of eggs.
This French term simply means ‘to put in place’ – in other words, get everything you will need for your cooking project prepped and ready before you begin. Scrub your benchtops, empty your sink, check the recipe, gather ingredients and pull out all of the necessary tools and measuring devices. A bit of preparation can prevent catastrophe; you don’t want to realise halfway into your recipe that you are out of eggs.
What to do while the bread is in the oven
Ah, this is the best part. The bread (or cake or muffins) is in the oven, you’ve started on the dishes, and heavenly smells are beginning to drift from the kitchen. Now is the time to pour yourself a cup of something yummy to drink, and recline in a comfortable chair while you congratulate yourself for being a domestic god or goddess. An overstuffed armchair in the kitchen would make an ideal spot, but any comfortable chair within smelling distance of the oven will do nicely.
Ah, this is the best part. The bread (or cake or muffins) is in the oven, you’ve started on the dishes, and heavenly smells are beginning to drift from the kitchen. Now is the time to pour yourself a cup of something yummy to drink, and recline in a comfortable chair while you congratulate yourself for being a domestic god or goddess. An overstuffed armchair in the kitchen would make an ideal spot, but any comfortable chair within smelling distance of the oven will do nicely.
Sharing baked goods with friends and neighbours
What’s better than freshly baked bread? Sharing it with someone dear to you, of course! Invite friends and family over to sample your latest creation, or hand deliver a freshly baked basket of goodness to a neighbour, friend, relative or colleague who could use cheering up.
More: How to Be the Best Neighbour You Can Be
What’s better than freshly baked bread? Sharing it with someone dear to you, of course! Invite friends and family over to sample your latest creation, or hand deliver a freshly baked basket of goodness to a neighbour, friend, relative or colleague who could use cheering up.
More: How to Be the Best Neighbour You Can Be
Finding time to bake
If you think of baking as a recreational activity, rather than a chore (like getting dinner on the table or vacuuming), it’s much easier to find opportunities to bust out the flour. Take advantage of a rainy Saturday by baking up a few loaves of bread or trays of muffins – it’s so much more satisfying than zoning out in front of the TV!
TELL US
Do you bake? Would you like to start? Share your tips, recipes and baking disaster stories in the Comments.
MORE INSPIRATION
Baker’s Delight: Indulge Your Love of Baking With Smart Storage
Stumped by Where to Put Your Pots and Pans?
Clever Cleaning: Why Baking Soda Is Your New Best Friend
If you think of baking as a recreational activity, rather than a chore (like getting dinner on the table or vacuuming), it’s much easier to find opportunities to bust out the flour. Take advantage of a rainy Saturday by baking up a few loaves of bread or trays of muffins – it’s so much more satisfying than zoning out in front of the TV!
TELL US
Do you bake? Would you like to start? Share your tips, recipes and baking disaster stories in the Comments.
MORE INSPIRATION
Baker’s Delight: Indulge Your Love of Baking With Smart Storage
Stumped by Where to Put Your Pots and Pans?
Clever Cleaning: Why Baking Soda Is Your New Best Friend
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Would love to bake in the first photo's kitchen - look at all that natural lighting!
O and here's a photo my sister's little kitchen creation: apple and strawberry with crumble with homemade rosewater, honey and almond ice cream. It was delicious!
I have several very quick go to recipes that I can literally whip up in 10 mins. It means there's always something in the cake tin if friends drop by. They're very economical, delicious and best of all I know exactly what is in them... No nasty additives.