Why is Baking so fun?
“a sense of creativity, accomplishment and relaxation.”
Why does just about everyone love baking or making pastry? Maybe you enjoy eating it more than making it. Maybe you love binging on all those baking, pastry, or chocolate shows. Maybe you love making something and seeing the joy when your friend, loved one, or a customer takes their first bite of a pastry you spent your time making. There are many reasons to love baking, pastry, and all the tasty treats.
The allowance of creativity in Pastry making is one aspect I really appreciate. Eating desserts is not necessary for us to survive, although I’m sure many would disagree! That satisfying chicken noodle soup you had, or the fried tofu with sesame ginger sauce and steamed veggies you saw on a menu recently are all things we eat to nourish our bodies. Desserts are eaten to enjoy and should absolutely be for pleasure. Understanding this gives us our freedom for creativity and to have fun.
On another note, we are all very aware how precise and technique driven Pastry is. In recipes we weigh our ingredients in grams, sometimes on a microscale to get a fraction of a gram. We use our skills, technique, and tools to make even consistent layers. We measure to make sure each portion is the same size. One slight change in any measurement can cause a disruption in consistency. For some of us, this aspect of pastry making keeps us involved and motivated to keep baking and over repetition, get better. The strive to make well made consistent pastry can become addicting.
For some of us, baking can be relaxing. It can be a time to put all things aside and just bake. We spend time focused on the recipe, measuring properly, and watching that we bake the pastry for the right amount of time. After the pastries are ready we can be happy knowing someone will enjoy them.
Sharing our baked goods with others can provide a sense of pride and accomplishment. Seeing the emotion and pleasure in someone's reaction to your pastry is very satisfying. This can also create a connection with others. It gives us a moment to bond with friends, family, or even our customers. We all enjoy the social recognition we may get baking with or sharing our pastries with others. It provides us with a sense of achievement and purpose.
Traditional or classic pastries tend to create some sort of nostalgia. Something that reminds us of a person or place in time. Maybe a dessert you enjoyed as a child during a specific holiday, or helping your grandmother bake a pie. Memories evoke emotion, and the combination of emotion with satisfaction and pleasure create something special. Nostalgia is rooted in positive emotions. It creates the desire to connect with our past and experience a sort of comfort.
Baking can be fun for many people, providing a sense of creativity, accomplishment and relaxation. When we share our pastries with others, that experience can tap into a deeper aspect of human psychology, such as the desire for social recognition, connection, and positive emotions. The nostalgia associated with desserts can evoke memories, provide emotional comfort, and reinforce a sense of tradition. Whatever your reason is, baking can be a fulfilling and meaningful experience for all.
