On Baking and Breaking, part 2.

This upside down world is hard to navigate.  Lockdown is grating and lonely, keeping motivation up to accomplish anything besides binge watching whatever I can find on one of the streaming platforms is a challenge. However, one of the things I’ve found that helps is baking, and I’m enjoying the challenge!  Part of the challenge is I can't always get everything I need here, part of it is using what materials I already have (i.e. I don't have a mixer so everything is kneaded by hand... I don't have a rolling pin but a wine bottle works great!) And also? My oven is tiny. I'd say a quarter the size of a regular American oven. So things can get tight! 

Buttermilk biscuits made with kefir instead of buttermilk. 

Now I’ve gotten really good at bagels and English muffins, I’ve also done baguettes, biscuits, and a variety of sweet breads and cookies. This last weekend I tried what felt like the ultimate baking challenge: Croissants and pain au chocolate. (they are the same dough, just rolled differently with chocolate in one of them).

Croissants that would rival any bakery in France. 

They’re not a lot of work, but they take a significant time investment.  Here’s the recipe I used: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/homemade-croissants/ 

English muffins are good but a pain, I think I will try English muffin bread next.

Honestly the whole time I thought for sure these are going to fail, so when they turned out a million times better than I could ever imagine, I was shocked and awed and really excited.

Sesame bagels - I'll def make these forever.

And when I post photos I get fun comments like “you might have missed your calling!” and “maybe a bakery is in your future” – which I’d like to respond to.  They’re sweet comments and I appreciate the heart behind them, but really? I don’t love it, I haven’t found my inner passion or calling in puff pastry and bread dough.  It’s just something to pass the time, and I need a new challenge every so often and this is one I can do at home. 

Pain au chocolat - same recipe as Croissants (above) just shaped differently with a chopped up bar of chocolate.  Next time (if there is ever a next time, no promises) I would use 70 or 60% dark chocolate, this time I used 80% and it was a little too bitter)

It’s funny, in another convo this week someone asked how old I am and I said 39 and she asked if I was going to have a crisis at 40 like so many women.  I’ve thought about the convo a lot, and I realize that’s a common occurrence, but my answer to her is that I think that happens when a woman looks at her life and realizes it’s not what she hoped and dreamed it would be.  And I look at my life and I think, it’s exactly what I hoped and dreamed it would be.  I’m in my dream job, I get to travel the world, making a difference and experiencing new cultures and trying new things, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. 

Baguettes, didn't turn out quite as crispy as I wanted but I will try again.

And that’s kind of what I think about baking, too. It’s another challenge, like learning Spanish last year or surfing or trying a new job or field or focus.  This is just how I roll, it’s not my hopes and dreams coming to fruition.  I’ve already got that, in my regular life.  Quarantine has just forced me to be creative in a different way than normal – in the chemistry of the kitchen. 

Next week? I think I’m going to try old-fashioned doughnuts or macarons.  Or both.  Who knows, it seems like we’ll have plenty of time! Any other baking challenge suggestions?  Send them my way!!