Bake and Pray is a new cookbook by Kendall Vanderslice. I know what you may be thinking, another cookbook, but this one is so much more than just recipes. It’s about transforming baking, especially bread making and transforming it into a mindful and spiritual experience. Kendall is a master at taking something intimidating and making it accessible for a first timer.
It reminds me of the first time I tried making sourdough and it turned into a brick instead of a loaf. If I would have had this book first, I am certain I would have saved a lot of flour and frustration.
I love that Kendall Vanderslice takes common misconceptions and anxieties of break making and addresses them head on. With this book, it felt like I had a master baker right there in the kitchen with me.
She weaves in a beautiful thread of baking as a form of prayer and finding the sacred in everyday acts of creating something with your own hands. She even provides “short breath” prayers that you can use to turn your kitchen into a truly sacred space during each stage of baking. It’s not just about creating the perfect loaf. It’s about the journey from flour to bread becoming meditation and prayer.
There is a powerful quote in the book that captures its essence. Baking bread is a way to meet God in the ordinary. It’s about appreciating the simple things, finding meaning in every rituals and seeing the loaves as a form of communion.
Kendall provides a Master Loaf recipe that is the perfect starting point that is a simple straight forward template using only four ingredients. Those are flour, water, salt, and yeast. It’s designed to build confidence and get a feel for the dough learning while getting familiar with the process.
She encourages you to develop a baker’s six sense and pay attention to how the dough responds to your touch as opposed to following a strict rigid recipe.
One of the things that really stuck out is how it incorporates bread recipes into the Christian liturgical calendar. We’ve all heard of Hot Cross Buns for Easter, but she goes much further into bread recipes into other Christian holidays.
She shows prompts for reflection and prayer and encourages you to dive deeper into the history of each holiday. Her approach to culinary storytelling is captivating.
Vanderslice is a champion for the home baker and encourages us to embrace imperfections and her book reminds us that baking just like life is full of surprises. Sometimes, we over bake, sometimes the loaf doesn’t rise as much as we’d like, and sometimes the loaf comes out a little lopsided and that’s okay. These unexpected moments often leads to more insights.
Not only does she focus on the spiritual side, she goes in-depth on dough and shares simple yet masterful techniques that anyone can use. It’s almost like a dance with dough rather than quick bake. You really feel connected throughout the entire experience.
If you’re looking into slowing down and finding the moments of connection and peace in a busy life this book is for you. The true gift of Bake & Pray is that it inspires us to look beyond the recipe and see the potential for meaning and connection in the simplest of acts.
Bake with intention, embrace the messiness, savor the aromas, and let the rhythm of kneading and rising nourish not just your body, but your soul as well.