My therapy when life is hectic - baking bread.
Besides making cheese, it's my favorite kitchen meditation. Not only is it highly rewarding, but it frees my mind.
Here are some tips for using cooking as a meditation, followed by my favorite recipe for the perfect loaf of bread...
~Start with a clean, quiet space. Turn off cell phones, TVs and get rid of other distractions before starting.
~Create a sacred space in whatever way you choose - sage, prayer, Reiki, etc.
~Be mindful in everything you do, paying very close attention to each detail as you cook. Use all of your senses and notice everything...the way each ingredient tastes, looks, sounds and feels. Notice the essence and characteristics of everything - the water from the faucet, the sizzling of a pan, the clinking of a dish, the yellow of a yolk, the veins in the skin of an onion, and so on.
~If your mind starts to wander, bring it back to the food. Stay in the moment and don't worry about anything else. Remember, this time is for you to relax.
~You can add gratitude to this meditation by being thankful for the different things you use in cooking. For example, take flour... If I look at this bag in my hand, I imagine everything this flour has passed through to get to me. As I touch it and rub it between my fingertips, I am filled with gratitude for the rain and sun and soil that it took to grow this. I am grateful for the farmer that brought these plants to life, and to all of the steps along the way that it has gone through to become a part of the bread that my family will eat.
~You can choose different recipes for specific intentions.
I find that making cheese is helpful when I'm seeking encouragement through some kind of transformation. There's just something restorative for me when I can see a few simple ingredients, turn into something amazing.
I like to bake bread when things in life seem out of my control. The kneading and waiting, just brings me back down to earth. It puts me in charge of the outcome. Not to mention, it also fills the house with the most wonderful smell known to man - fresh baked bread!
White Bread Recipe
Makes 2 loaves
Ingredients:
2 tbs shortening
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs sugar
1 cup warm milk
1 cup warm water
1 package (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
6 cups (approximately) white flour (unbleached bread flour preferred)
Instructions:
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm milk. Stir in shortening, warm water, salt and two cups of the flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.