I have many photos of perfect cakes and freshly baked bread on social media. Sometimes, someone sends me a picture of oatmeal cookies made from overripe bananas. Fruit that might have ended up in the trash at the supermarket. Since the pandemic lockdowns, everyone in the country has been baking. And there’s one thing they all have in common: men bake.
But these men are not metrosexuals exchanging live sourdough at a farmers’ market. One man bakes bread. He lives in a country house located in a former military zone. His social media is a mix of photos of bread and snapshots of his carpentry work at home. Another solitary fellow brings oatmeal cookies from a small cottage by two rivers. He comes to town once a month. When he does, we go to the taproom.
I learned to bake a bundt cake as a child. Back in college, I often baked during exam season — not for stress relief, but as a handy excuse to avoid studying. I kept this skill a secret for a long time. But then I moved into an apartment with a hot-air oven twelve years ago. My spouse complains that her bundt cakes always come out burnt on the outside and with a runny middle. So I started baking again.
I remember a TV advert for baking margarine about how the mixture rises as a chemical process. That’s how I approach baking. I’ve heard that men who like cooking and baking are creative. For me, baking means following a step-by-step process.
Mark makes a living as an analyst. He lives alone, yet he bakes a large loaf of bread every day. The bread would be worth a lot of money if he charged by the hour. Mark keeps detailed records of his baking. He cuts a slice from each loaf, assessing consistency, aroma and taste. Then, he gives his friends some of the bread. One day, he’ll work out the secret to making the best bread in the world.
On the way home from the meeting, Jacob and I chat about baking. He listened for a moment. He asked a few questions. Then he said, “Baking a pan of buns takes all day. You need to prepare and plan carefully.” I nod my head to show that I agree. I also tell him that kneading the dough to make it rise fits with the Pomodoro technique he uses when he works.
For each of us, baking represents something different. For some, it is a way to relax or even as therapy. For some, baking is a way to take care of others. For some, it provides an environment over which they can have control. Some people find that baking helps them connect to their traditions. Some people like baking because it gives them a sense of self-sufficiency. For everyone, baking offers the possibility of self-realization.
But who am I to say…
