Bread is known to be one of the oldest food items. It has toppled governments and united enemies. People from old age use to survive mainly on bread. They mastered techniques to keep it fresh at all times. In the modern world, people have numerous choices regarding food and baking bread is no longer cherished. If you’re looking to expand your cooking skills, you definitely try out baking bread. Here are some of the compelling reasons why you should learn how to bake bread.
Why You Should Learn How to Bake Bread
Nothing Beats the Taste and Flavor
The fresh aroma that comes out of the oven is to die for. Your family will enjoy eating bread that is full of flavor and has been baked with home ingredients. You can involve the whole family in the baking process so that everyone feels special when the bread is coming out of the oven to be eaten for breakfast.
Expand Your Skills Set
Baking bread is going to be a new challenge. You might have baked cakes in the past, but bread is different. You will have to research the different recipes available in order to determine the one that fits your taste and style. There are several blogs that are dedicated to baking and you can’t fail to find something that tickles your fancy. For a more interactive and engaging experience, you can decide on video tutorials, making baking a lot easier because there are step-by-step instructions. Even if you’re a great cook, there is no harm in adding baking bread to your arsenal. You never know when it might come in handy.
More Nutritious
Homemade bread is more nutritious compared to the ones that you buy from convenience stores. You get to control the ingredients which leads to a better output. It should be noted that commercial bread is full of preservatives in order to improve its shelf life. When you bake on your own, you can decide on what you want to include and the quantity so there is no waste. Homemade bread is stuffed and solid compared to those that mass-produced.
It is not Expensive
You might have been discouraged to try baking bread because there is a perceived notion that it is expensive. Contrary to popular belief, baking bread is not expensive by any means. The main ingredients for making bread will be flour, yeast, and salt. These are ingredients that are readily available at home. You can stock them up if you intend to be baking on a regular. You might want additional ingredients depending on the type of bread you’re making but that shouldn’t cause a dent on your finances.
Kneading Dough is Relaxing
If you’ve been cooking for a while, you’re probably aware of how kneading dough can be a relaxing experience. Not a lot of foods will require kneading dough. When you bake bread regularly, you get to experience the relaxing effect of the preparation. It can be a meditation session given the fact that you will have to be fully focused on the process. You get to forget about other things that could be bothering you, even if it is for a little while.
It can be Educational
You get to explore bread recipes from other countries. In the process, you get to learn about their culture and heritage. Just recently, there was an uprising in Sudan (NY Times) because of the increase in the price of bread. This lead to the toppling of the president who had ruled the country with an iron fist for close to three decades. Once you start exploring recipes, it will only be natural to be interested in the story behind them. You will be surprised by how much you can learn by just trying a new bread recipe.
It can be a Business
You might enjoy baking tasty bread and want to share the experience with others. You can start by selling baked products to friends and relatives. The venture can then be expanded to the local community. Before you know it, it will be a fully-fledged business.
To sum it up, there are just so many reasons why you should try baking bread especially if you love to cook. You get to channel your creative energies in the baking process which can be rewarding.