HOME
Baking
Therapy story & recipe by Doug Smith
As a person that loves being out and about in the community, this social distancing thing has been very difficult. The worst part has been trying not to mentally check out or binge watch TV. For me, one way to fight this has been by taking trips to the local market (practicing social distancing) for fresh fruits, vegetables, and other supplies to bring home and cook. The local restaurant community has really stepped up. Some have become very creative in how they show their passion. We may not have the traditional Friday night date night but this has allowed us to spend time with our family in a unique way. With what feels like no work and no school, there are very little outside distractions. So what do we do with all this newfound time you ask? Reconnect as a family. There’s just something special about planning a meal and then cooking together. As each day has gone by we have become more creative and stretched outside of our culinary box. No bread at the market? No problem. This is a great opportunity to hone my bread baking skills. Not only is this a very easy recipe but it's also good therapy. As we carefully measured the ingredients, it allowed us to talk about something other than the news of the day; looking in the mixer with anticipation to see how this gooey mixture moved slowly from water and flour to a shiny stretchy dough ball. We then transferred the dough ball into a large bowl to proof. Don't rush it here! It takes a little time. Yes, we kept walking by the bowl talking about how good it smells, maybe even taking a peek or two. The great thing about baking bread is that it makes the whole house smell so good. To be honest, it was very little work, but the pleasure and memories we found were priceless. What we found in this crazy time of uncertainty, fear, and isolation has developed into what we started calling “Baking Therapy”. We have found comfort in talking about what we were going to eat with our fresh baked bread, and how we would make different shapes and sizes. How would it taste if we added this? Or changed that? I would call this a flavorful distraction from the stress of the day. Get more from Doug I pray that by the time we Smith by following are all reading this month’s him on Facebook and VIP Magazine, COVID-19 Instagram at "Doug has passed. Either way, the Food Guy". the baking therapy will continue for years to come.
28
VIPMagSC.com
February 2020
What we found in this crazy time of uncertainty, fear, and isolation has developed into what we started calling “Baking Therapy”.