How Bread Baking Helps with Post-Election Stress

As we are all coming down from an incredibly stressful election, many of us are feeling lost, jubilant, anxious, excited, and some might even say stressed. No matter what side you are on, the stress levels have been through the roof for most of us. I say it’s time to get your stress levels back down and get you feeling good again. It’s time to bake bread!

I know, I know, you are already asking yourself how bread baking can help with post election stress? Trust me on this. It can!

How Bread Baking Helps with Post-Election Stress

While anxiety and stress related conditions are best left up to your medical professional, there are things in each of our lives that we know can help us maintain calm. For some of us that may mean meditating, for others that may be painting and others yet find their calm in a fresh batch of bread dough.

Do you want to know what it is about bread baking that can be so helpful? Let’s touch on just a couple of the reasons:

Creative Expression

Several studies over the years have proven a connection between well being and creative expression. There is a reason why we have things like art therapy. The ability for a person to express themselves creatively allows them an outlet for the stress that they are holding in.

Mental Focus

Sometimes something as simple as needing to focus can help calm stress. When you are bread baking, you often have to follow specific recipe instructions. From precise measurements to specific orders of adding ingredients, the focus you have to put in can often take your mind off of things that are causing stress and anxiety.

Creating for Others

We all know how great it feels to give gifts. Bread baking can help with post-election stress by allowing you the good feeling of creating something that will make others happy. Whether giving someone the gift of bread, or providing a delicious loaf of bread for the dinner table, it feels good to know that others are enjoying your work.

If you are the type to find calm in working with your hands and creating a delicious fresh batch of homemade bread, here are some traditional and delicious bread recipes that you can try. Even just a few moments of calm can help reduce our stress levels, imagine what a peaceful baking session and a delicious smelling kitchen can do!

Traditional Bread Baking Recipes to Help Take Your Mind off of Stress

Sourdough Irish Oatmeal Bread - If you are wanting a delicious and traditional sourdough recipe, the Sourdough Irish Oatmeal Bread is an excellent choice.

For those that don’t know, Irish oatmeal is not the typical rolled oat type oatmeals that many of us are familiar with, but it is instead similar to steel cut oats and oh my goodness does it make some delicious bread. Be sure and use the Superstone® La Cloche to make this bread and feel your stress melt away with every stir of the whisk.

Cracked Wheat Sourdough Bread - If you like your sourdough bread to be less oatmeal and more wheat, be sure and whip up a loaf of the Cracked Wheat Sourdough Bread. This too should be baked in the Superstone® La Cloche. If you love sourdough bread, you are going to love this one!

Chocolate Chip Autumn Pumpkin Bread - If your baking therapy has more to do with a sweet tooth, you will definitely want to give this Chocolate Chip Autumn Pumpkin Bread a try! In addition to being sweet and delicious, it also takes just 10 minutes to prepare, which is great if you are short on time (or if you just want to enjoy your bread sooner). This bread bakes best in the Superstone® Covered Baker. A Quick Note

The only thing that I would stress is that, in order to keep your stress levels down, be sure and use the right bakeware. Even the calmest of bakers can get stressed when their bread doesn’t turn out well because of subpar tools. 

As you know, here at Sassafras®, we offer the absolute best of the best when it comes to authentic bread baking tools and bakeware. Be sure to use the renowned bakeware such as the Superstone® La Cloche, the Covered Baker or the Bread Dome when baking a fresh loaf or two of your favorite bread in order to relieve stress.

Happy baking and stay calm, my friends. We are all in this together and together we can make delicious food!