Remember four months ago when everyone made their New Year’s resolutions about what they were going to accomplish in the new decade? Well, between being quarantined and the earthquake, it feels like January was about ten years ago. So it makes sense if you forgot.
For my New Year’s resolution, I wanted to learn how to bake. Baking has always scared me and looked super messy, so I have avoided it like the plague or in this case, like COVID-19.
Even though I wrote learning ‘how to bake’ at the top of New Year’s resolutions, I had yet to actually bake something that didn’t come out of a box all year.
Instead, over the past four months, I binge-watched, “The Great British Bake Off” and became a self-proclaimed connoisseur in the baking world. In reality, I could never make a tenth of the things they bake on the show.
Since being quarantined, I decided to put on my big girl pants and finally try baking. It sounded like a better idea than doing homework.
Before I go any further I feel like it is important to premise that I did have some help. Thankfully, I am quarantined with my mother, who I like to call my personal Martha Stewart.
That being said, for my first bake, I decided to make the least complicated thing I could think of. I wanted to make a classic loaf of white bread. In my mind, I couldn’t mess it up that bad. Right?
Once we had all the ingredients, it was go time. During my first bake, I found out a few vital rules of baking.
One, baking takes a lot of time. Two, your hands will definitely get sticky. Three, warm bread with butter and jam is probably one of the best things on this planet.
It took me five hours, two proofs, and lots of flour to make the creation come alive, but it was worth it.
When the bread came out of the oven, I don’t think I have ever been so proud of myself. I couldn’t believe I made it. I was already thinking of my next baking challenge.
I decided to push my skills and try making cinnamon rolls. I used Paula Deen’s recipe and, wow, I was so impressed with the end result (even with the few mishaps I experienced).
With my new-found confidence in the baking world, the sky’s the limit!
Tonight’s mission: Amish Bread.
Was baking the healthiest hobby to pick up while in quarantine? No, definitely not. But with all the craziness in the world, there is nothing that carbs cant fix.
But, when the pandemic is over (hopefully sooner rather than later) and we can all be around more than 10 people, I can share my new found hobby with my friends. Plus, now I can finally cross baking off my New Year’s resolution list.
Story by: Cassidy Harmon
eic@suunews.net
Photos by: Cassidy Harmon
