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 am really not much of a baker but when I saw your tips for baking even just the simple tip to make sure your ingredients are at room temperature it makes a big difference. My favorite is the banana muffins which I make for my grandchildren. They are a go to when they won’t eat anything. They call them gangie muffins. Gangie nickname for grandma.
Baking is a connection to my maternal grandmother (Grams) and mom. I have lost both of them and they were both prolific bakers. Baking makes me happy because my kitchen not only fills with wonderful scents but lots of my earliest memories.
I love the kitchen. I love to cook. The planning and prepping. Measuring. Mixing. Looking through the oven window. Patiently waiting for the smell that say I am almost done. In life we need joy. We need to nurture that place in our soul that celebrates who we are. So the next time your spirit calls to you take her hand and head to the kitchen.
Your comment reminds me of the poetry of Mary Oliver. Beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing.
it makes me calm down. I have anxiety and baking is better than any therapy I’ve gone to. I think it’s because I have full control over what’s at my hands and can easily fix something if it goes wrong.
What does baking mean to me? Of course the memories that are made when making holiday cookies and breads.
Also, baking becomes a quiet time, an escape from worries I have. Baking also makes a joyful time when you have shared the results with others. You have to concentrate on what you’re doing so your mind stays on the task in front of you.
Baking has been a hobby for me from a young age. It’s given me great pleasure to create something delicious for my family and friends. I’ve also thought of it as tasty form of art. I find it relieves stress as well especially when hand kneading doughs. Thanks for your great website. I always enjoy trying your recipes!
It’s soothing and most times I bake something I am giving it away and it makes me happy that I could comfort someone with some yummy baked goods. I also love baking challenging things like tiered cakes and macarons. 😉 Ps. I am 13 yrs old, i might be selling some of my stuff at the farmers market next year.
I am passionate about cooking wholesome delicious food for my family. I love the thought process of deciding what ingredient or dishes work good together. It is extremely satisfying to bake a dish that everybody loves, but even better when the entire menu is delectable together! Battling with weight issues makes me conscious of what I’m cooking. When I indulge, I want the calories to be worth it! Sally’s recipes helps me accomplish that goal. Thank you!!!
I grew up in a home where my mother baked something nearly every day. The memory of home made bread is etched in my brain and senses. Baking brings me joy–and the fact that other people love my baked goods just makes me happy. I am always amazed how excited people are to have somethign homemade.
I love giving a piece of “my time” and love to those I bake for. Seeing them enjoy that gift brings me peace.
It brings a peace over me, it’s calming. It’s the way I show love to my friends and family. Holidays are just the best!!
I started baking in college during midterms. I was overwhelmed and didn’t know where to start, until I had to bake cupcakes for a sorority bake sale. The recipe told me exactly what I needed and gave me step by step instructions. It was so soothing. So baking became a part of every midterm and finals season, and my room became the preferred place to study because I always had baked goods 🙂
Baking is still stress relief, and it’s also a mood booster because it’s something that I’m GOOD at. If I need a boost, I go bake something. It’s also become something that my daughter and I do together (decorating with rainbow sprinkles/sugars/jimmies/etc is her favorite part, so we make a lot of sugar cookies and vanilla cupcakes). I can’t imagine my life without it
I enjoy baking and cooking because it is a way that I show my care and affection to those that I love. I also enjoy a good challenge when it comes to baking or cooking something new…stretching the baking/cooking muscles if you will. Having something delicious to eat after the work is done, along with people’s smiles and “yums” is also good motivation. Thanks to this website, I’ve been able to try some new sweet and savory recipes, and they’ve been hits!
Baking and edible art through food means an ever lasting connection to my mother. I lost her 9 years ago to uterine cancer and my life has never been the same.
She would always cook and bake from scratch and say “food is love.” It brings people together and calms the soul. She always wanted me to do something with my art and love of baking, but I never did until 5 years ago. I went through a hard time mentally, physically, financially and it broke me. Without the help of my husband, children, mother and Sally’s FB group I might have never recovered. But I did. I started baking more, working with royal icing, fondant, sculpting modeling chocolate etc and Just Wrighg by Kelli wad born. Besides my family, it’s my reason for getting up in the morning. Food is love, a lesson I finally learned from my mom and one I will pass on to my kids.
Correction. “Just Wright by Kelli was born” still can’t type through misty eyes
My mom was such a great baker that she started her first business creating wedding cakes. No matter the occasion she came with something delicious and her baking bought us together. It was how she showed us she loved us and somehow she passed her passion for baking on to me. While I will never be as good as she was, I find baking is also my way of showing my family love. I hope one day my daughters will do the same for their families. It would make my mom smile.
I love baking cause it’s so relaxing and fun and it smells up the house with such a sweet aroma….and the enjoyment I get out of family and friends faces and yummy comments when indulging in my sweet treats or my meal recipes, makes my heart happy 🙂 ☺️ …..love , love to bake!!
I love baking because I usually bake with my sister. My sister and I are best friends and I have baking to thank for that (although we usually end up fighting but we always work it out) I also love being able to but different ingredients together and seeing the result of what mixing foods together makes!
I love baking because it lets me wind down after a long day of outside work and school. I also love the creativity I can express through it. My favorite thing is seeing my friends faces of happiness after tasting something I baked!
Baking is so much fun! Not only do I love measuring out all the ingredients precisely, but I love tasting the batter or the dough, watching it rise in the oven, and that moment when you can really start to smell how delicious it’s going to be as the scent fills the entire home. Of course, I love indulging in my own scrumptious treats, but MOST of all, I love the reactions from friends and family when I share my baked goods with them. Lots of love goes into my baking, and nothing makes me happier than bringing joy to my loved ones with a gift of freshly baked cookies, muffins, scones, etc. I’m smiling right now just thinking about it. Your recipes are the absolute BEST, and I always go to your site first when looking for a new recipe. I have found some really good “one-off” recipes on other sites, but yours is the only one where I am confident that any recipe I choose will meet my high expectations. Thank you for sharing your expertise with us!!!
I wholeheartedly agree with this post! I love baking – it brings me so much joy and happiness! It’s also a huge stress reliever for me and a way for me to unwind. Always has been.
I also enjoy baking for my friends and family too because it brings them joy and yummy treats.
I think for me baking is knowing when someone has something I’ve made. especially from scratch and it makes them happy, I did what I set out to do. There are a lot of things we like to accomplish in life, but I’ve realized the simple things in life sometimes is just making someone zucchini muffins or cookies for their birthday or no reason at all, and they are happy, and me knowing I put the effort in to make that happen brings me more joy than anything, You were one of the first blogs I really starting reading. more than ten years ago (YIKES, where did that time go!) And while I’ve always loved baking, you’ve helped me create family recipes and become a better baker. Thank you!
It’s therapy for me and everyone loves what I bake. Two things in one.
I may be only a kid, but I get anxiety very easily, and baking helps me feel like I’m doing something useful that atually feels good, allows me to express creativity, and decompress.
Baking is a way of connecting with my dad. He’s 89 & lives about an hour north of me. So every other Sunday, I drive up with SBA’s cookies. I usually do one he’s already loving (oatmeal scotchies or peanut butter) & a new one for him to try. It’s created a memory I’ll never forget. But more importantly, baking has been an expression of love for him I didn’t really realize I needed.
Aside from EVERYTHING, I LOVE waking up early & baking things. The pleasure I get from the silence or the look of “WOW”! On my families & friends faces. THAT means more to me than ANYTHING! We have this thing where we air “slap” across the face twice when we can’t say how good something is. Or the silent look with the head bobbing. My son can’t have FAKE stuff in food so all my meals etc are from scratch & YOU Sally make things EASY & FUN. Now if I could just have the confidence to make roll out shape cookies & crust, I’d be a happier camper(LOL). Our neighbors are farmers down the road & they look forward to me giving them things as they ALWAYS clear our drive-way from snow, it’s a fair exchange. WE ALL LOVE being Sally Addicts!
Baking is a way of showing love to those around me by remembering what their favorites are and a creative outlet. I also get a sense of accomplishment when baking, especially when baking something new or challenging. I look back and can say – I made that!
I love baking because I see it as a possible second (and final!) career for me. I am gathering cookie recipes that I bake well and developing a brand theme. You are quite the inspiration (and a fellow Marylander)!
Baking brings me so much joy! As you said, I can challenge myself or keep it simple. Even after years of baking with yeast, I’m still in awe when it rises and I can feel the difference in the dough. It’s also a form of express and love for me, especially when I see people enjoying the end yummy results. Thank you Sally for all your hard work over the years (long time follower.) I love that you anticipate the questions that people might have, I love that you provide substitutions, and especially love the over-night options on many of your recipes.
Baking brings me joy only begins to describe it! It also brings joy to the people I love and that’s the best feeling of all. The recipes I have found here are some of the best I have ever come upon, and I am so grateful! In this fast-food, mass manufactured world, there’s nothing better than than gifting the people you love with something made special just for them.
Baking is a way to bring a little sunshine into people’s lives and gives me relaxation. I enjoy surprising those who don’t get thanked and appreciated much–people working outside, the ER staff at the local hospital, elderly neighbors.