40 Times People Took Baking To Another Level, Shared In Online Group

The r/Baking subreddit is an old one. It’s been around since mid-April of 2009. Since then, it’s cemented itself as one of the main places on Reddit that celebrates the wonderful world of baked goods, whatever shape, form, or taste they might take.

Baking expert Jessica was very honest with Bored Panda about her passion for baking. “For me, baking is the ultimate creative expression—it combines my love of art, science, exploration, and of learning new things.”

She added that we also can’t forget that the beauty of baking is also about the taste and her “love of eating yummy things!”

Part of the magic of baking is that everyone can have a very different approach to it. Your reasons why you love being in the kitchen so much might be entirely different from someone else’s. Or they might overlap and you might find an unexpected connection.

“Everyone has their own unique reasons for their love of baking,” pie artist Jessica said. “For a lot of my friends, it’s the meditative aspect that they find most appealing. Measuring out ingredients, mindful stirring, the aromatherapy… It’s a very ‘in the moment’ type of activity that requires a focus that can drive out the intrusive thoughts about our day-to-day troubles.”

Meanwhile, other people can focus entirely on the results, not the process itself. Though that doesn’t make their baking any less ‘serious.’ Quite the opposite! These people tend to love sharing their food with the people closest to them.

“For other friends, the joy of baking lies in the outcome—the sharing of sweet treats with loved ones and putting smiles on people’s faces.”

According to Jessica, baking can have a very strong nostalgic component attached to it that lets us appeal to others’ memories. “Using old family recipes or creating dishes with special cultural significance can help us find that sometimes elusive connection to our own past, and our future,” she said.

“Whatever our reasons for wanting to bake, it’s no surprise that more people than ever before took up the pastime during the pandemic. Study after study has indicated that baking can release stress, and help make people feel closer together and more connected, even when they are physically apart,” the pie artist urged everyone to give baking a try!

Jessica also revealed to Bored Panda some insights about her newest projects, both in the kitchen and at the printing press. “

“This month is all about ‘Piescrapers’ in my kitchen! Piescrapers are 3D pies that ‘go up,’ as an homage to the epic pies of the royal Medieval and Renaissance pastry chefs. I’m working on reverse-engineering some of these old old old skool pie baking techniques, as well as adding a few innovations of my own—many of which you can find on my Instagram account @thePieous, and in my new book 'Pies Are Awesome: the Definitive Pie Art Book' (with foreword by Duff Goldman),” she shared.

“In ‘Pies Are Awesome,’ I share all my secrets for baking epic pies, for beginners and experts alike, and provide lots of templates, step-by-step photos, and tips and tricks. I also include spotlights on other Pie Artists out there who are just killing it in the baking world, and where you can check out their work for more inspiration. The world of Pie Art has grown by leaps and bounds over the past five years, and even if you aren’t yet ready to dip your toe into the world of Pie Art baking, my book makes a great gift idea for anyone with a coffee table and a love of drool-worthy pie photos!”