The Joy of Bread Baking

Orange Cinnamon Swirl Bread

There is something really special and therapeutic and almost prayerful about baking bread. There is a process of creating, of waiting, of anticipating, and rejoicing when a loaf is made. Yesterday, my friend J. and I set out to bake bread. She worked on an orange cinnamon swirl recipe that comes from The Bread Bible: 300 Favorite Recipes. This sweet bread had the hint and smell of orange that was faint, yet made this bread distinct.

Orange Cinnamon Swirl Bread (Side View)

I worked on a yeast pizza crust from the Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition - 2006, and added my own flair to it with a few herbs.

Basic Pizza Dough (Improvised version with herbs)

Together we chatted and shared about our life stories, our journeys and what we are struggling with as we kneaded and prepared bread that we would share. As we waited for it to rise, the stories continued.

There is something special about creating food with a friend. The giving, the receiving, the making, the sharing, the enjoying. The finished bread and finished pizza was a prize for our hard labour as well as a joy added to our friendship, making yesterday a special day.

Best tasting pizza ever!

I love the simplicity of baking bread. I used to think that bread was complicated and yeast was finicky. But there is something to making one of the basic foods in life from scratch and something wholesome about not eating one of the main staples from a store.

Bread making, as I referred to in a different post, has a special meaning to me now. As I knead the bread, I remember my grandma. I remember her influence. I remember the joy that she brought into my life. I remember her praying with my grandpa each morning for all the people in their life. I remember the stories she told me of growing up and here adventures in the war. The kneading is healing to the pain and sorrow of losing someone I love dearly, but also extends beyond to the future of knowing that her legacy lives on. Her life was a blessing while she was here on earth. But will also continue to be a blessing. Today I was reminded of this as I enjoyed a piece of the orange cinnamon bread and the fruits of yesterday.

Forming the Dough