Hi bakers! I’m sharing a different kind of post today. It’s not a recipe, not a baking article, and it’s not an update on life. It’s a short post where we can all reflect on what baking means to us, either how insignificant or how profound.
I published today’s post on my website a few years ago, and am revisiting it. I received so many incredible responses, and learned just how profound the art of baking can be.
If these words resonate with you, I encourage you to share what baking means to you.
What Baking Means to Me
Besides being an obvious means to an end (a baked good), the act of baking is a form of my self expression. I create what I want to create, however little or magnificent that baked good may be. A mindless rice krispie treat or a tall, towering wedding cake.
When I worked a 9-to-5 job in a corporate environment, coming home and baking cupcakes (even from a box mix!) helped me relax and unwind. It simply “felt like me.” In a job where I didn’t have much creative freedom, baking truly kept me fulfilled and energized.
And, not to mention, it’s a double whammy of awesomeness… baking makes me happy and baked goods make everyone happy. Spreading joy is immensely powerful.
I was able to make a full-time career out of this passion. 12 years later (!!!), baking still provides the same amount of joy and creative freedom. But on a more serious note, baking also helps manage my anxiety. A chronic worrier since my teen years, I find the structure and focus that baking requires to be soothing. I’m in control of the outcome (well, mostly!) and that control is important during times that my anxiety feels debilitating. Baking is my work, my “me time,” and, well, my medicine.
I’m very grateful I’m able to do it.
And the same may be true for you, too. It’s not just about baking cookies, it’s about the joy and calm that come with it. What baking is to me may be knitting, painting, reading, running, yoga, or music to someone else. How incredible that a hobby, or a job, can be a form of therapy.
So, what does baking mean to you?
Photo credit: Paragraphic
I had recently retired and was really struggling to find a new routine. I was depressed but didn’t want to go back to work! My sister shared a SBA recipe or two with me and I loved the results. I started following Sally more and more, getting her emails, etc. I have really gotten into baking cookies! It’s my new “thing.” I have two of Sally’s cookbooks which I treasure. If you don’t have her books, go ahead and get one or two! They’re beautifully done. To make a long story short, baking cookies has really been a help to me. I find it very peaceful and rewarding. Everything I make that comes from Sally is the best! I just made the Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies today and OMG! Absolutely delicious. I want to add how very much I’ve learned from Sally, things that guarantee perfect results. I tell everyone about Sally’s Baking Addiction! I’m addicted! I recently bought my best friend a copy of Sally’s Baking Addiction cookbook and a cookie scoop for her birthday. She was thrilled. She’s told me how she wants to make everything in the cookbook! Thank you to Sally and Staff! Can’t wait for the new cookbook!
I love your website and have made many delicious treats. I am spreading the word as well to family and friends. I taught myself to bake in my 20’s and have loved it ever since. I share everything I bake with many elderly neighbors and since the COVID we’ve hosted a drive thru Bake Sale monthly to benefit our firehouse. Residents can request of a baked goodie via e-mail. We sell out every month! Baking is a stress reducer for me as well and I get such joy from it as well as my 6 grandsons. I made your FABULOUS zucchini “ cake “ with the applesauce and it was a slam dunk! Stuffing his mouth with a piece of the cake he exclaimed “ This is the BEST banana cake I’ve ever had Nun nun!” ♀️ Thank you for your enthusiasm, encouragement and positivity. The boys would tell you “ You rock”!
I bake because there is nothing! like a fresh, homemade, perfectionist brownie, muffin, or linzer tart. My husband likes box cookies better. I am married for 6 years, and I still think he is lying to me whenever he tell me that. I just can’t fathom that its true. I love the joy it brings to my family and neighbors when presenting them with fresh, love-infused, eat-the-whole-pan-myself baked goods!
I am a Korean who was adopted from an orphanage in Seoul Korea in the late 50’s. The community I grew up in was prejudiced. Mostly it was generational beliefs that had not been questioned. Many good people who had been taught that the was only 1 true human race – Caucasian.
Baking was the one thing that brought all of us ladies together. Beliefs were left outside of the kitchen. Inside was creation and teaching in the old style of grandmother to youngsters. Sally, your site turned me into the great baker I am today. I get to bring joy to road crews, fire/police people, and a slew of just people. Thank you for sharing your expert knowledge.
This is so special, Sasha, and thank you for sharing. It’s wonderful to read that baking has brought you so much comfort, confidence, and joy. I appreciate you taking the time to add your comment. I’ve loved reading all of these!
Baking for me is also an escape from my worries. I struggle with a very type A personality which I’ve been trying to change, but at the end of the day I’m very routine oriented and get frustrated and flustered easily. Baking is so precise, but also so forgiving and easy to improvise with that it really calms that part of me. I also love to bake for others! Nothing makes me happier than having friends or family over for supper and feeding them whatever delicious treats I’ve put together. Or bringing some to work and being able to share a relaxing moment with coworkers in what can be a very non-relaxing environment.
I have loved to bake since I was a little girl. I remember my grandfather giving me a birthday card when I was 7 and it was pages of recipes. My favorite was the fudge recipe. I made it for everyone all the time. It was such a hit. I remember baking with my grandmother and then just for myself. Baking always brings me such peace. Its my escape in a way. I love to bake for other people because it brings them such joy as well so its truly a win/win. I always loved to back with my 2 daughters as well. Now they are grown so I have “adopted” the kids across the street from me and now they ask me if they can bake with me! Just this past weekend I needed to make a dairy free cake for a birthday and it was amazing. Everyone raved about it. I’m always looking for new recipes to try and that’s why I love Sally so much. I have never been disappointed with any of the recipes I’ve discovered on the website or in her cookbooks.
I’ve always loved to bake. I can be as creative as I want to be. Just the simple act of making cookies, and having them gobbled up, is truly satisfying. I can get a bit anxious at times or get manic sometimes, and baking is the one thing that helps center and calm me. I love to bake for other people and have been told I could open a bakery. But my comment to that is, “Then, it would be a job and I’m afraid I wouldn’t enjoy it as much.” I really like baking with my grandsons, Carson and Graham. The kitchen’s a mess when we get done, but that’s the best part of baking. I also love to cook, but baking for me is my lifeline. My safe place is definitely the kitchen.lol!
Baking is one of my favorite hobbies. I love baking. I love desserts and I love what they represent … A moment of joy, happiness and sharing at the end of a good meal with family or friends!
Thank you for your recipes Sally!
Baking is my favorite hobby. It’s my stress reliever. I enjoy making tried and true recipes, as well as new ones. I bake for others and love to see them enjoy my baked goods. Baking is also special to me because it reminds me so much of my grandmother, who loved to bake and spent so much time in the kitchen with me. When I bake, I feel her presence and it brings me joy and heals my soul. One of my favorite moments is an early Sunday morning, the house is quiet, windows are open, birds are chirping and I’m baking. It’s when I feel most like me.
I can honestly say, whatever recipe I have cooked or baked from your site, I and my family and friends have definitely enjoyed.. Thank you .. Please keep on cooking, baking and sharing