Bread Choose Me!
Feb. 10th, 2026 8:43 am
Growing up with a mother who was a cook and bread maker, I guess I always thought it was something everyone was able to do. I can see how cooking is a skill that needs to be taught and I was fortunate enough to have a mother who took the time to teach me. But the bread making was just an added bonus. I do remember the various stages of my curiosity started when I was really young, when I only ever wanted to bake. I guess that is where it all started.
I was and still am someone who would reach for a piece of chocolate over anything else. My mother was definitely more of a cook and enjoyed baking bread. And I always insisted on baking cakes or cookies, assuming to satisfy my sweet tooth. Then I would say in my 20s, I was able to put my cooking skills to good use when I got my first apartment. There was something about being able to cook even the basic items, when I had friends at that age who could only make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. My skill was not very elevated but I knew the basic cooking methods, and understood what could go together and didn’t. That time in my 20’s, I was more of a cook (obviously because I had to feed myself). But I didn't really experiment or expand my skill until I was in Buffalo.
My early Buffalo days consisted of trying to survive living 400 miles away from home. I experienced living with multiple people during that time, and was fortunate to have a roommate who also enjoyed cooking. Looking back, she actually helped me elevate my skill by watching how she did certain things. I was always asking her questions and picking her brain. I didn’t realize at the time, but that experience helped me want to learn more about cooking. These skills also helped me teach a couple of my really good friends (now in our late 20s), how to cook some basic recipes. You know who you are!
Baking didn’t come back into my life until I was in my 30s. Not to say, I didn’t make my share of cookies and baked goods before that. I think I came to a point with cooking, I was satisfied with my skill and decided that baking was something I hadn’t really leveled up in.
Fast forward a few years and find myself married, two kids under three, and a full time job. I remember waking up one day and deciding I needed a new hobby. I guess I didn’t think I was busy enough! (yes i know, I’m a bit crazy). I dabbled in crocheting a bit but I wasn’t about to sit on my couch for hours a day and improve my crocheting skills. I ultimately decided that my basic skill of crocheting an afghan, scarf, and hat will be good enough.
I then remembered having a conversation with someone and telling them, “I know how to make bread. It’s easy.” Well, to my surprise they had a lot to say about how NOT easy it was and would love to have that skill. So, I took that conversation and started to bake bread for my co-workers. My little hobby started with making Irish Soda Bread (because it was March and I had the most delicious irish bread recipe), baguettes, and I believe cinnamon buns. From there, my menu kept getting bigger and bigger based on what my co-workers wanted.
Many experiments and ideas happened between that point and the point I am right now. Those beginning months were A LOT of experiments and A LOT of mistakes. But my basic menu came out of those months of experimenting and my co-workers at the time, taste testing for me. It was a bit crazy working full time, raising my kids, and then baking at night. My husband thought I was going to wear myself down. But month after month of baking and experimenting, I realized that I really enjoyed this. I LOVED doing this and couldn’t believe I hadn’t been doing it all this time!
My “aha” moment was this weekend, when I received a call from a friend who was panicking because she didn’t understand what her recipe book was saying. I got a good laugh out of it, but then realized how fortunate I was to know how to make bread. I never realized how complicated baking was when you are trying to read it out of a cook book. There are words like, “stretch the dough”, or “deflate the dough”, or as simple as “activate the yeast”. I seemed to have taken advantage of knowing How to do all these things up to this point. So I decided to bring over a couple of my baking pans, some yeast, and extra flour to help a friend out in need! She wanted to buy a loaf from me, but told her there was no way I was going to sell her a loaf of bread when I can just teach her my most basic loaf (and her daughter's favorite).
I am happy to report, her loaves came out perfect! And now she has one more skill under her belt and will be able to make delicious bread any time she wants to.
Ultimately, I am fortunate to have found my passion and am able to share this with my friends and neighbors. Bread ‘found’ me! It took me 30 years to figure it out, but I finally got here. If it wasn’t for my mother, and her love of baking bread, not sure if I would have realized how much I ALSO love the art of baking. Maybe one day I can host a ‘Dels got Bread: baking 101’ class so I can teach more people who are interested in learning just the basic skill of bread making.
Bon Appétit
