I rise to bake
Hi Everyone, Fraught with unpredictability, temperamental partners, atmospheric conditions that I cannot control and sometimes a shaken confidence, why then you may ask, would I venture into such an arena? The simple answer is, because I get a rise out of it every time. Baking keeps me on my toes, it excites and thrills me and yet at the same time, it shakes my confidence, it makes me anxious and it keeps me in check, grounded, and so I never take it for granted.
Many people will tell you that they cook, they do not bake and then there are those of us that cook and bake that get asked which we prefer, baking or cooking. I thoroughly enjoy both. I like the adventure that cooking is, no precision to measurements is necessary, you can go with the flow and half way through decide to add something to the pot or pan, you can take shortcuts, you can speed up or slow down, and you can adjust as much and as often as you like. However, baking gives me an exhilaration and satisfaction that cooking doesn’t and I think that that is primarily because of the complexity of baking. There are too many variables that can go wrong and that you have no control over. I am not saying this to scare you; I am being honest and realistic. There are many people that will tell you that baking is easy but anything is easy if you know how to do it and do it often enough. Given all of this then, why is it that baking gives me such a high?
No matter how closely I followed the instructions of a recipe or advice of an avid baker, each time when I open the oven at the appointed or suggested time, I am pleasantly surprised at the outcome – the bread actually rose, the cake did not fall, the pastries have puffed up, the meat is brown, the pie is crusty…. It does not matter that I have been baking for as long as I have been cooking and that certain things like bread, buns, cakes and pastries I have been making repeatedly. I think of each of my baking ventures as a little miracle.
Once I’ve decided to bake something, I walk into the kitchen and stand facing the oven almost immobile, sometimes willing it to miraculously conjure up what it is I want made; pleading with it to save me the stress. Since I do not live in the world of Harry Potter and have no wand and know no spell to perform any magic, I turn, armed with a written copy of the recipe and start to assemble the ingredients, ensuring that the oven is properly pre-heated at the stated time.
I like working with yeast and even though I know I have bought fresh packets ensuring I checked the expiry date, I worry whether or not the yeast is alive. As I stir it into the warm water with sugar and leave it to proof in a warm place, I have to physically remove myself from the kitchen to avoid peeking. Once I get past that stage, it is smooth sailing until the pans are in the oven. About 15 minutes later when I start to get a good whiff of whatever is baking; I check my timer and insanely start asking myself, “Is it burning? Is that why I smell it?” Thank heavens I know better than to open the oven door to peek!
While yeast-baked goods work really well here in the Caribbean where it is warm all the time, pastries provide a challenge in that you have to work really fast! In no time the butter and vegetable shortening start to melt. As recent as this past week when I was making some biscuits for this column, just as I finished cutting the fourth one, I noticed the butter glistening slightly at the bottom of the dough. The biggest stress working with pastries in this very warm climate is ensuring that I get everything mixed, rolled, cut, sliced, and egg-washed and still be cold. Once in the oven, I relax. Unlike with the yeast goods, I don’t worry too much about the pastries once they’re in the oven.
Cakes I am much more relaxed making. The strange thing here is that no matter how much I smell a cake baking, I never panic and wonder if it is burning and I never get the urge to peek at it. Go figure. Pies – sweet or savoury, crumbles and tarts, I’m fine with also, no stress there. What I like about these in particular is each time they come out of the oven, it’s like the big reveal, the big ta-da moment.
If I had to describe baking as a personality, I’d say that it’s independent, likes to be in control, bossy and temperamental , is flashy and a show off. It’s independent because it only wants you to do assemble ingredients according to specific instructions and be left alone to work and do its thing. It says, “When I want you to check in on me, you’ll know.” It’s in control and bossy especially while in the oven, “Don’t look at me yet! I swear, if you do, I’ll change my appearance, I’ll stay put and perhaps not rise at all! It’s flashy and a show off once out of the oven, “Look at me, see my colour? Feel my crust… don’t I smell good? Awww, look at you, I’m so good looking you want to cry.” Hmmm maybe this says something about me… because I get a rise out of baking.
Cynthia
tasteslikehome@gmail.com
www.tasteslikehome.org