My passion for bread began with a recipe handed down by my Grandma Wilson. My mom taught me how to make the recipe, and I fell in love with the process. When I bake, I feel connected to my mom, my grandmother, and all of those who came before.  It is truly amazing to practice the same rituals of heart - and hearth - that have provided sustenance to human beings for thousands of years!

 

Baking bread is a totally sensory experience—the fragrance of yeast, the colors of flour and grain, the smooth, springy texture of dough, the magic as it rises….and finally, the warm satisfaction of golden loaves perfuming the air with their incomparable aroma! I’ve often remarked that you can’t bake bread and stay angry. Negative thoughts just melt away when you’re absorbed in the demanding--yet relaxing--task of bread-making.    

 

Peace, love and bread are inseparable. And that’s why people need good bread—because we crave the sense of peace and love that goes with it.  We are hungry for something real, and real food feeds the body and the soul. Tending the hearth is transformative; it’s an act of love and nurturing, it’s an art and a skill.         

 

At Downtownbaking.com, I teach the old-yet-new ways of tending home & hearth, and offer custom baked goods to order.  Let's join together to change the world for the better, one loaf at a time. Let's honor the grandmothers, whose art, skill, nurturance and wisdom is so needed to heal our broken world.

 

Thanks for connecting, and Enjoy!

Cheryl