Baking Fatigue

I have had conversations with various women and seen numerous posts on social media conveying this idea that baking at home is overwhelming. Traditionally, our culture tells us to save baking for special occasions: cakes on birthdays, unique desserts on Christmas, pies on thanksgiving, and so on. Baking something from scratch is viewed as a big deal- a project that requires in depth planning and preparation. The idea of baking bread regularly in your home, while on the rise, still intimidates so many people.

It was a random conversation one day with my sister that got me to consider how prevalent this problem really is, and how it is largely not recognized a problem to be solved. We tell ourselves it is normal to view baking in this way, and we chock up our fatigue to a character flaw within ourselves. We tell ourselves that we are just not good at baking so it is just something we have to put up with on the occasion that we pull out the scratch ingredients and spend a day in the kitchen.

However, as I have gotten more experience in the kitchen, I have come to believe that this struggle I experienced is not simply a character flaw within myself. The fact that I felt worn out from baking and working in the kitchen was not because I lacked energy or interest or a gift. Rather, it was because I lacked skill and experience. Just like any muscle, we can exercise in this area and make ourselves stronger.

Just like with any skill, consistent effort brings results.

I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly implementing certain habits and mastering a couple of recipes completely changed how I approached work in the kitchen. My days started to have a flow. My “ingredient based kitchen” felt like it had food to eat. Even better, my family and I felt satisfied with the food that was available. While these 3 blessings are definitely not the case in my home 100% of the time, I now know that it is possible to manage things in this way, even for an un-natural, busy homemaker like myself!

I thought what felt hard in those early months of learning would always feel hard because I was just “not a natural homemaker.” But this could not be further from the truth! So take heart momma, and know that while uncomplicated does not equal easy, it can get easier!

Once I learned how to get good at one bread recipe, I gained momentum. Adding new recipes and trying new things did not feel nearly as overwhelming. In fact, it almost became enjoyable! I simplified the things that I found hard, and stopped overcomplicating what felt like a big deal to me. I learned how to get comfortable with experimenting and let go of perfectionism when it came to preparing food. (I will say, this is easier to do while your children are young, and less expressive about their opinions relating to your cooking!)

Overcomplicating the kitchen takes the joy out of our efforts.

My Best Advice-> on the practical level.

Start by picking one thing you want to get good at making, and that you can incorporate into your meals regularly. Find a recipe with ingredients that you keep in stock or could easily keep in stock. Jot the recipe ingredients and the basic process down on an index card, and hang it on your fridge. (This action cuts out the time it takes to look the recipe up over and over. Plus, it lessens the words your brain has to sort through to be reminded of the process, since you will be writing what you know you need to see in order to remember.) Lastly, create a routine around baking this recipe at least once a week.

If I could tell you what to start with, I would say learn to make whole wheat bread. Bread is a staple in most homes. It would not be hard, even for a small family, to go through one or two loaves per week. This gives you plenty of practice, and provides a nutritional substitute for one of your family’s most eaten foods!

If you’ve never made your own bread skip the all purpose flour route, and go straight to learning whole wheat. While slightly more expensive to source, it is way more nutritious for your family. I will lend the time in another blog post to go over the pros and the cons of switching your diet to whole wheat options. To get you started at the practical level, though, check out this super simple, beginner bread recipe.

Whole wheat bread-and then freshly milled whole wheat bread-was my gateway into creating routines around cooking and baking from scratch. For me, this looked like forcing myself to start a bread dough any time we were close to running out and I knew I would be home for about 3 hours. Within 2 weeks of forming this habit, I had memorized the bread recipe, and it took hardly any mental energy at all to make this happen. The routine of baking bread fit nicely into my rhythms at home, and it was easier to me than doing the dishes!

So keep it simple! Add just one new thing at a time, and get to mastering it.

I hope this gave you some encouragement and inspiration. If you took my advice, leave a comment and tell me how it is going! If you tried my whole wheat bread, tell me what you thought! Further, if you are curious about whole wheat or milling your own flour drop me an email! I would love to chat and share with you as I learn and grow in this area, as well.