I saw someone on Twitter refer to all of the quarantine baking we’re all doing as “Existential Bread” and it tickled me so much. The play on words, yes, but also the thought of all of us connected by dusty piles of flour on our counters and deep sighs of ennui.
A few days ago a friend asked for recipe recommendations because she wanted to do some baking, and it was a joy to read through the thread of responses. I suggested she make the loaf I’d just made (and devoured) and all of a sudden there was a group of happy bakers excited about the same thing I was excited about. It was a bright spot in an otherwise difficult day and I wanted to share it.
I’ve always found baking to be therapeutic so it’s no surprise that I’m doing a bit of baking these days. I’m going to share some of the recipes I’ve made, and some I want to make, here as a kind of record. I’m afraid these days will melt away when we find a new normal, and in some ways that will be a blessing but the thought also make me a bit sad. These days are challenging and long and frustrating but they’re also important.
The loaf I made (and devoured) last week was this Apple Fritter Bread. It’s so easy to make and tastes so delicious. The brown sugar component felt a bit excessive when I was making it, but the quantity is necessary to achieve the full fritter-ness in my opinion. I didn’t do the full glaze but I’m a sucker for an apple fritter so I did glaze the top a little. The next time I make it, I’m going to add the zest of half a lemon to the batter to brighten it up a bit. I used Granny Smith apples and I’ll definitely do that again rather than use a sweeter apple.
I also made this Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread (without the raisins because raisins are of the devil) and it was outstanding. The only changes I made are: I eliminated the raisins (as one should) and I used 2 Tbsp melted butter in the filling instead of an egg + water. I haven’t been making much sourdough lately because flour is getting more difficult to find at the grocery store, but this is a nice way to use up the sourdough discard when I feed my starter every week.
I also made a Rhubarb Custard Pie to celebrate the seventh anniversary of my first thyroid surgery because I will find literally any reason to celebrate with pie.
This week I’m planning to make pretzel rolls for bbq pulled pork sandwiches and garlic knots. The DoubleTree Signature Cookie will round out my week of Existential Bread.
Have you baked anything recently that made you feel a shred of happiness inside? Share with the class!
