Home Baking official says baking can draw together families, save money
Cookies and pies, muffins and cupcakes are all very nice, but a leading voice for the Home Baking Association recently told Kansas extension agents that the benefits of baking go well beyond the goodies that come out of the oven.
Sharon Davis, a consultant with the nonprofit Home Baking Association, said mixing it up with a bowl of flour or cracking a few eggs is part of a process that “enriches our lives.”
“It gets you off your screen, puts flour in the bowl and lets you take off into an actual experience, instead of a virtual one,” Davis said.
She spoke recently to a gathering of K-State Extension family and consumer science agents who came to the university’s Manhattan campus for annual training and updates on programs being promoted across the state.
Davis said baking provides five benefits beyond filling one’s tummy:
Economic and Practical Benefits
Baking at home can save money versus buying ready-made baked goods in a store. It also reduces food waste by using ingredients you already have, and families can control ingredients – which helps them better understand what’s in their food.
Family, Lifestyle and Emotional Benefits
Davis said baking builds relationships in the kitchen and around the table. Young children and teens build self-esteem and a sense of connection by helping to mix ingredients.
Educational Benefits
Measuring, scaling and portioning ingredients builds on math skills. Following a recipe helps with reading skills. Children build their vocabulary by learning such terms as whisk, fold, cream and more.
Nutritional and Food Systems Insights
Home bakers become more knowledgeable of flour types and gluten differences, and why recipes may turn out differently depending on the products you use. Baking also helps bring awareness to the nutritional benefits of such products as whole grains and sourdough, for example.
Cultural, Social and Quality-of-Life Benefits
Many products reflect cultural diversity, such as wheat that has roots in Ukraine, or corn-based foods that symbolize indigenous and Hispanic traditions. The smell of bread baking in a home is a sweet sensation that adds warmth and comfort.
Plus, Davis said, baking can be viewed as a “no-fail” activity for families.
“There are so many simple starts,” she said, “and if you fail once, you’ll be just like me: How many times have I done things and then had to do them two or three times in baking?”
“Baking draws your family together and everyone can contribute. Even a two-year-old can begin baking.”
In Kansas, the Home Baking Association’s partners include Kansas Wheat, and K-State Extension. Davis said many organizations produce recipes that are tested by professionals. More information on the organization and access to resources is available online at https://www.homebaking.org.
In addition, the Home Baking Association offers an online Glossary of Baking Terms that includes videos and many other links to help home bakers more fully enjoy the experience.
A longer conversation with Davis also is available on the weekly radio program, Sound Living, produced by K-State Extension.
PHOTO: Mom with daughter in kitchen. (Adobe Stock-#177738331 │ Vasyl)
