Baking can be many things: an act of creation, connection, control. There\u2019s something comforting about the structure of it: the measuring, the stirring, the transformation of a handful of ingredients into something delicious. Even if life doesn\u2019t always feel orderly, follow the recipe and things should turn out as planned. It\u2019s like therapy, with a present at the end.<\/p>\n
Baking can be about maintaining traditions, or possibly curiosity. When it\u2019s cold outside, there\u2019s something cozy about a warm kitchen and the aroma of something sweet. But baking can also be catharsis for more volatile feelings: The term \u201crage baking\u201d was popularized by writer Tangerine Jones, who turned to flour and sugar to channel her anger at the world\u2019s injustices.<\/p>\n
Hannah Skobe, a doctoral student in astrophysics in Pittsburgh, loves the chemistry aspect of baking \u2014 how butter behaves differently at different temperatures, for instance, or why the proteins in egg whites break down when they are over-beaten. She also finds the process therapeutic, a much-needed break from work. Ron Ben-Israel, who focuses on elaborate wedding cakes as chef and owner of Ron Ben-Israel Cakes, in New York City, was drawn as a child to \u201cwatching as ingredients change through technique\u201d in his mother\u2019s kitchen.<\/p>\n
For him and others, there\u2019s an element of nostalgia. A parent\u2019s rugalach recipe, the pie their favorite aunt made every Thanksgiving, the cookies they helped decorate as kids. Or, it\u2019s a way to mark the calendar: a crunchy, buttery crisp in the fall after an apple picking expedition, Irish soda bread on St. Patrick\u2019s Day, a favorite birthday cake that must be made every year.<\/p>\n
Alex George of the blog Lily P Crumbs finds something satisfyingly tactile and tangible about baking. Cracking eggs, creaming butter \u2014 there\u2019s a lot of sensory pleasure to be had, especially in a screen-centric world. Kneading dough for bread, spreading the icing on cinnamon rolls. Her readers, she says, \u201clove the process as much as the payoff.\u201d<\/p>\n
An Apple Streusel Pie is displayed in New York on Nov. 9, 2018. (Cheyenne M. Cohen via AP)
\nGeorge loves inventing new kinds of baked goods, seeking inspiration whenever she tries a new food: \u201cSavory food is my favorite kind of muse. One incredible French onion soup I had recently inspired my caramelized onion biscuits with French onion soup compound butter.\u201d Bernard Wong, an avid home baker in New York City, also enjoys delving into new techniques. He has experimented with laminated doughs (think croissants and puff pastry), and has recently played with the East Asian technique \u2014 known as tangzhong in China and yudane in Japan \u2014 of pouring boiling water over flour to partially cook it, resulting in softer, fluffier breads.<\/p>\n
Even better, confections like these are shareable and can be a way of expressing a sentiment. It might be as simple as \u201cI missed you,\u201d or \u201cI thought you might need something sweet to get through this moment.\u201d Skobe recently made a banana cake with cream cheese frosting for her co-workers: \u201cI loved seeing all of my friends come to my desk to grab a slice.\u201d As Chang puts it: \u201cI\u2019m grateful I get to do something that I love so much and that others love so much too.\u201d<\/p>\n
At its heart, baking feels hopeful. It might be about feeding others, or celebrating, or creating a moment of calm in an otherwise chaotic world, but it\u2019s also about the belief that if you measure the ingredients and follow the steps, something good should come out of it. Oh, and julekake? It\u2019s a Norwegian Christmas cake.<\/p>\n
Q: What is the therapeutic aspect of baking? The Therapeutic World of Baking Baking can be many things: an act of creation, connection, control. There\u2019s something comforting about the structure of it: the measuring, the stirring, the transformation of a handful of ingredients into something delicious. Even if life doesn\u2019t always feel orderly, follow the recipe and things should turn out as planned. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":23424,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-23422","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dining"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sun-sentinel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Be_Well-Why_We_Bake_84025-1.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all&w=1400&resize=1400,933&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23422"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23422"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23422\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23425,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23422\/revisions\/23425"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23424"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nA: Baking can be therapeutic as it provides a sense of control and structure, and the process of creating something delicious can be calming and fulfilling.
\nQ: Can baking be a form of self-care?
\nA: Yes, baking can be a form of self-care as it allows individuals to express their creativity, relax, and produce something tangible and enjoyable.
\nQ: What are some benefits of baking?
\nA: Some benefits of baking include stress relief, creative expression, and the opportunity to share joy and love with others through the food created.
\nQ: How can baking be a way to connect with others?
\nA: Baking can be a way to connect with others by sharing baked goods, teaching others how to bake, or participating in baking communities and events.
\nQ: What is the significance of baking in different cultures?
\nA: Baking has significant cultural and traditional importance in many societies, often symbolizing love, hospitality, and community, and is frequently associated with special occasions and celebrations.
\n
\nBy KATIE WORKMAN
\nWhen people talk about baking, they often focus on the final product. The tender cookies, the domed muffins, the rich brownies. But the real draw of baking starts long before you roll out the pie crust.
\nBaking can be many things: an act of creation, connection, control. There\u2019s something comforting about the structure of it: the measuring, the stirring, the transformation of a handful of ingredients into something delicious.
\nEven if life doesn\u2019t always feel orderly, follow the recipe and things should turn out as planned. It\u2019s like therapy, with a present at the end.
\n\u201cBaking is how I best connect with the world around me \u2014 making something wonderful and sharing it with others and seeing how much joy they receive from something I made with my own hands,\u201d says chef Joanne Chang, co-owner of Flour Bakery in Boston and an author of baking cookbooks.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a way to make the world a bit sweeter one cookie, cake, pie at a time.\u201d
\nBrownie batter is poured into a pan in New York on Oct. 7, 2020. (Cheyenne M. Cohen via AP)
\nKatie Workman writes regularly about food for The Associated Press. She has written two cookbooks focused on family-friendly cooking, \u201cDinner Solved!\u201d and \u201cThe Mom 100 Cookbook.\u201d She blogs at https:\/\/themom100.com\/<\/a>. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.
\nFor more AP food stories, go to https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/recipes<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"