It is funny how the conversation immediately shifted to sourdough and the pandemic. I think that era taught a lot of us that having a physical ritual, something you can actually touch and smell, is a vital anchor for mental health. When your entire work day is spent moving bits around a screen, producing a physical loaf of bread or a pie feels like a radical act of creation. It is less about the food itself and more about the proof that you can still interact with the physical world in a meaningful way.
I baked a pie every day for a year
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Re: I baked a pie every day for a year
#182I challenge each and every one of you to make a pie by the end of the month. I made one, for the first time in my life, last week. It brought me tremendous joy not only to make it, but to have something nice to share with friends.
Pi day is coming up (it's a Saturday), so surprise your friends and or coworkers by making a pie for Pi day
Re: I baked a pie every day for a year
#183Baking everyday as a way to keep a professional identity is an interesting idea. Being semi-retired, I’ve noticed that I am starting to struggle the curiosity and motivation that kept me going when I still worked. This article makes me think I should pick up a habit of doing some “work” daily.
Yeah, I think it's a tough one for some people. Case in point: my parents.
My father has always had a million hobbies, and his work was what was preventing him from fully exploring them. He's taken to retirement like a fish to water.
My mother on the other hand (still working at 73) like most academics has been very dedicated to her work, and her main hobby outside of work has been hiking.
I'm a little worried that she'll struggle a bit to adapt to retirement.
Re: I baked a pie every day for a year
#184Re: I baked a pie every day for a year
#185I’m of the belief that doing just about anything every single day for a year will change your life! A key for me has been to “lower the bar” so that I can keep the promise to myself and maintain momentum through days of low energy or enthusiasm, e.g. playing the guitar for 1 minute, or writing 1 sentence.
That's definitely not universal. I play/practice music, almost every day for at least 30 minutes, and it has no influence on my life, as far as I can tell. I cannot imagine that playing the guitar for a minute has any.
Re: I baked a pie every day for a year
#186Pie is such a gift. My wife died nearly ten years ago and soon afterwards, I took up pie baking, which is something that she loved to do (I just loved to eat it — since childhood I've had a birthday pie instead of cake). I had all the stuff, after all. I got good at it and love to share them with friends at gatherings, or even just give them away entirely. Right before COVID, I did a Friday Pie Day thing where I gift…
When everyone got into baking early covid I couldn’t understand why no one was baking anything, like, good. No pizza or pie or cake or muffins or banana bread or even a damn focaccia. The world collectively just decided the end-all be-all of baking was… sourdough.
We started doing sourdough in lockdown for 1 reason. The shops nearby were out of yeast. kinda limits your options
Re: I baked a pie every day for a year
#187Pie - specifically pie crust - is my specialty. I'm in a constant quest for the best (and simplest) method. It's also a very tasty hobby.
I occasionally make a pie, and while I had problems getting the dough workable (too tough/crumbly, or too wet/sticky), the taste and texture so far turned out quite nice. It's just butter, castor sugar, flour, baking power and a bit of salt (and a bit of egg when the recipe demands it). However, I can't say I've got a good feeling for it.
So what's your recommendation? Other ingredients? Special tricks? Do you keep lab journals?
Re: I baked a pie every day for a year
#188Government job. Retired at 61. But I made a pie everyday!
Gave birth at 18 solo while her partner was in prison. Probably deserved a chill life?
Re: I baked a pie every day for a year
#189Re: I baked a pie every day for a year
#190Earlier quoted context omitted.
When everyone got into baking early covid I couldn’t understand why no one was baking anything, like, good. No pizza or pie or cake or muffins or banana bread or even a damn focaccia. The world collectively just decided the end-all be-all of baking was… sourdough.
Well, as a less-advanced baker, I get the most pleasure from baking bread. Plus, I can eat it without getting fat.
Bread is calorically dense on its own actually