Picture this, a counter covered in flour, the smell of yeast and fresh pastries, perhaps even batter spillages on the floor! Ring a bell? This was the state of many kitchens across Canada since March 13 when the country was put into lockdown due to the Covid-19 virus. Since the virus was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization it has brought havoc on much of the world, causing national lockdown orders almost everywhere. This has left people finding new and creative ways to pass the time. A popular trend is baking. Canadians are baking every treat from cookies and cakes to strudels and pies.
One particular food item that is getting a lot of attention is sourdough bread. Videos of how to make the perfect sourdough starter and bread have been popping up on almost every social media site. Canadians who participated in the sourdough bread baking fad even got a shout-out from the Prime Minister on May 5, during one of the COVID-19 debriefing sessions at his cottage, Narcity reported.
Karen Bates, a Master’s degree candidate at Royal Roads University told CBC that the reason so many people are turning to bake during the pandemic is to re-establish their connection to the Earth through making food, which is a part of the Earth’s natural environment.
Another possible reason is that people who are used to eating at fast-food restaurants or cafés are looking for a way to feed themselves since most restaurants would have closed down or because money’s tight right now and they’re looking for a cheaper way to get a meal.
Either way, baking has become the hobby of many people during this pandemic. In fact, it has become so much so to the point where store shelves in the baking aisles of many grocery stores are being emptied almost completely. Flour and yeast companies like King Arthur Flour and Five Roses — and even flour mills in general like the Flourist mill and bakery in Vancouver B.C. — are experiencing high demand for more product, Globe and Mail and Global News reported. Robinhood, a well-known flour producing company, even ran out of packages with its iconic logo in the center on a yellow coloured background and had to switch to using plain white packaging instead, CBC explained.
Quarantine has brought out the inner patissier in many people as a way to comfort themselves during this pandemic and could continue to do so for as long as the pandemic lasts. So, next time you’re stress-baking, comfort-baking during this pandemic, know that there are probably a lot of other people doing it too.
Bon Appetit!