BREAD BAKING PRETTY HOT NOW

With so many people stuck at home, is there a resurgence in bread baking? Certainly bread is one of the items that tends to disappear from supermarket shelves in an emergency, but stores are reportedly running low on flour and yeast, and Google searches for “bread” hit an all-time high this week. #QuarantineBread trended on Twitter and people are posting pictures of loaves of homemade sourdough and focaccia on Instagram. Why bread? Kathy Gunst, 63, resident chef for NPR’s “Here & Now,” says that bread is a uniquely meditative bake. It forces you to slow down and go step-by-step to create your loaf. Working with your hands adds to the feel-good element. Bread is also time-consuming, and people have nothing but time on their hands. But Gunst thinks the No. 1 reason people are making bread is that it’s full of steps and procedures, and offers a feeling of order during these uncertain times.
* Or you can mix up a bowl of microwave brownies and have them ready to eat by the next commercial break on HGTV. But bread’s nice.
* Meanwhile, those stupid pasta-making machines sit unused in the cupboard, waiting for some love.
* Sure, pack on those carbohydrate pounds, for when they let us leave our homes at the start of swimsuit season.
* If I eat bread, my diet’s toast.
* PHONE TOPIC: What have you been cooking during your time at home that you don’t normally make?