Why I Started Baking At Home

I baked my first banana bread, and there's still room for improvement

Cafe hopping was one of my favourite hobbies before moving to London this summer. I loved going to different cafes at least twice a month to try new pastries and enjoy a hot cup of coffee. I don't remember exactly when it became a hobby, but it was fun, and I truly enjoyed it.

A few weeks after settling into my new life in London, I tried cafe hopping again, as it was a hobby that allowed me to savour delicious pastry and relax at the same time. I was particularly excited about resuming this activity in London because it's a bigger and more diverse city, and there were a few Japanese and Italian bakeries I wanted to try.

The excitement soon died out as I realised, cafe hopping wouldn't be the same here as it was in my previous city. London is bigger, busier, and more expensive, and the customer service isn't that great. I had no choice but to give up on that lifestyle when it started hurting my wallet while still enjoying good coffee and delicious pastries.

First Attempts At Baking

I learned to cook at a young age. It's a skill I wasn't willing to learn as I always threw a fit every time my mother sent me to the kitchen, but it's now one of my most valuable skills, if not the most valuable one. As a single mother on a single income, cooking at home has helped me keep my daughters healthy and save money. Although I have decent cooking skills, I had no interest in baking; I got everything from the store, especially bread and was fine with it.

I also thought it would be pointless for me to go cafe hopping if I started baking at home, but then I moved to London and everything changed. I knew I would be broke if I continued my lifestyle, so I decided to take up baking as a hobby since cafe hopping was no longer an option.

The first thing I did was to get some baking tools. I ordered them on Amazon and eBay, then went online to find some easy recipes. I didn't think it would be possible for me to start making croissants or pain aux raisins when I was beginning, even though I love them and they've been part of my diet since childhood. So I settled for blueberry bread, and it wasn't bad for a first try, as you can see below.

This is my first attempt at making blueberry bread

Practice Builds Confidence

After making my first blueberry bread, I considered sharing it with my housemates, but I was initially apprehensive. "What if they don't like it? Will I still carry on baking?" Then I told myself I wouldn't be able to tell how my baking is unless I let others taste it, and what's the worst that could happen?!

So I shared my first blueberry bread with my housemates, even though it wasn't perfect, and they loved it. Their compliments gave me the confidence to keep going, and I'm glad I didn't listen to the voice of doubt in my head. For my next baking project, I wanted to try something different while sticking to easy recipes.

I used the same blueberry bread recipe to make a cinnamon and apple bread while making a few adjustments along the way. This time, I asked our housekeeper to try it. She loved it and said it was delicious. I also had some of that apple and cinnamon bread, and let me say it was amazing without bragging.

Baking And Starting A Recipe Book

What started as a hobby to save money and enjoy baked goods from the comfort of my home is now an integral part of my lifestyle. I've been writing down recipe ideas and baking at least once a week. I recently made a moist banana bread without following a recipe, and it was a hit with my housemates.

I created a recipe reference to document my journey as a beginner baker. I write down every idea and variation of a recipe that comes to mind. I will focus on easy recipes for now until baking starts coming naturally to me, like cooking. I’m considering attending baking school next year to improve my skills.

It's supposed to be a hobby, but I see myself making pastries for a living once I reach retirement age. It wasn't easy to give up on a fun hobby like cafe hopping, but I'm glad I did. I've been grinding coffee beans every morning to enjoy a fresh cup with homemade cake. Sometimes, a fulfilling life is as simple as that…

This banana bread is looking good, but I'll do better next time