The natives are getting restless. Or at least that is how it feels for people all over the world reaching the end of the first full month in quarantine. Netflix is starting to get repetitive. People have caught up on all the podcasts episodes they were saving for roadtrips. The Zoom happy hours are dying down. The usual things that would fill our time are becoming boring.
If you have spent any time on social media, you have probably realized how people have begun spending their infinite free time. Baking is the hottest activity for the quarantined, and it makes total sense. Baking takes up a large amount of time, makes people feel productive and ends with food. What else could a person want to do all day?
However, not all forms of quarantine baking are the same, and the different ways baking manifests in people represents the different ways they are handling the situation.
Box Mix Bakers
The most traditional form of quarantine baking is the box mix. Box mix bakers were prepared for the quarantine. They were prepared to have a lot of free time, and knew that they would want to make brownies, cookies and cake. These bakers also have a jam-packed schedule of mindless activities. They have puzzles, boardgames and a Nintendo Switch.
Box mixes are the quickest form of baking, and their bakers don’t have enough time to spare for baking from scratch. Lastly, these bakers are handling this all the best. They are actually finding peace in this time of all-day leisure, and are using it to hone their skills in other areas of their lives. To them, baking is just a small part in their quarantine, instead of the thing single-handedly keeping them sane.
Banana Bread Bakers
The next type of bakers are the banana bread bakers. These people are a bit less prepared. Instead of buying enough stuff to keep them occupied before the quarantine, they spent all their time stocking up on groceries, and now they have an abundance of bananas.
Banana bread doesn’t take more groceries than what people already have in their house, and takes a bit more time than a box mix. When they aren’t baking, banana bread bakers are probably scrolling through Twitter or practicing TikTok dances. Banana bread is also not as satisfying as a box mix. It usually tastes just okay, but the banana bread baker doesn’t care. They just want something to do. You wouldn’t necessarily say these bakers are handling the situation well, but they aren’t drowning either. Baking is a fundamental part of their day, but they don’t need it.
Sourdough Bakers
The last type of bakers are the sourdough bakers. They seem to be the most popular of the three types, and they double as the least prepared. They did not even know there was a quarantine on the horizon, and now they are just trying to get through the days. Sourdough bakers found yeast in the back of their pantries and a Martha Stewart recipe on Pinterest and just decided to go for it.
Sourdough takes a while to make and is the most intensive of the three types of baking. Sourdough is also the least satisfying to eat — it’s literally just bread. However, to the sourdough bakers, it represents much more than baking. The sourdough bakers feel like they have been transported to a time before technology. They feel as though they are living on the prairie, and need the bread to survive. Every Instagram story of a fresh loaf of sourdough is a call for help. They are not handling this at all.
Everyone is just trying to get through this time, and the constant baking is just another side effect of a group of people all trying to stay occupied. If this long month turns into long month(s), we may one day yearn for the days of baking sourdough.
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