Savory, homemade bread — both regular and in gluten-free variations — has never been easier

Even before the pandemic, psychologists, cookbook authors and self-help gurus like Dr. Nicole Beurkens, Jack Hazan, Julia Ponsonby and Pauline Beaumont suggested that we carve out time to stay home and bake — specifically bake bread — for our mental health and as a part of our self care routines.

Espousing home bread baking as a sort of moving meditation, like yoga or tai chi, therapists posited that this kind of time spent in the kitchen is good for us on many different levels: Baking bread forces us to slow down and following a multi-step recipe takes our full attention (creating mindfulness). They talk of how the repetitive movement of kneading bread eases frustration, calms the nervous system and releases tension and the waiting on and the watching of dough rise is somehow extremely calming.

They also mention the dopamine hit and serotonin release we get from eating it (comfort), smelling it (nostalgia/triggering fond memories) and having successfully made it (accomplishment) in our very own kitchen! 

For decades, I have had an on-again off-again relationship with bread making and never once have I thought of it as a form of self-care, but I like that is has gained that kind of status. The act of baking has always been calming and fulfilling for me, especially when my intention is to gift what I'm making, which is generally the case.

Other than a few loaves baked with my mother as a child, I began my foray into bread making in the 90s once I discovered that I felt better when I eliminated gluten from my diet and desperately craved a slice of bread after going many months without. At that time, where I lived in Alabama anyway, there were no gluten-free breads in the freezer case at my local grocery store, like there are now and there were no gluten-free baked goods to be purchased someplace locally. If I wanted it, I was going to have to learn to make it myself. So I did. 

I had some help along the way, but I figured it out mostly through failure. So much of what I baked early on should have gone straight into the trash, but I was so desperate I inevitably managed to salvage whatever I made into something edible.

This bread I am sharing with you today is savory and moist and truly foolproof. Don't be scared of the the two unlikely bread ingredients: Onions and cottage cheese!

It's strange, really . . . you can't pick out either in the finished product, but the flavor they each impart, although subtle, is essential. You won't want to change a thing once you try it. 

I prefer to make mini-loaves from this recipe rather than one regular sized loaf. That way I gift more than I keep. It's best I do because I can't stay out of it once I make it. I have friends who claim to hate both onions and cottage cheese but are nuts for this bread. The cottage cheese provides moistness and a little bit of a tang similar to a sourdough and the onions give it a sharpness, making this bread perfect for a cheese toast, a tomato sandwich or for simply dipping into good olive oil or toasting and drizzling with honey. It also goes perfectly on a charcuterie board.

Baking ticks a lot of boxes on the list of what is missing from our incessant busy-ness. Most of us rush around in a great panic, multi-tasking and chasing our own tails, scarfing down "food" at the kitchen counter or, heaven forbid, eating in our cars. Baking bread makes us feel good by connecting us to our food and to ourselves through our senses — taste, touch, smell, sight — four out of five anyway!  

There are few things as comforting as fresh baked bread, so carve out the time and don't be scared. Even if it doesn't turn out perfectly the first time, it will almost certainly be edible. (Actually, it will almost certainly be delicious.) Sure, baking bread takes time and a little focus, but once you jump in and give it a go, you'll see how satisfying the entire process is.          

Want more great food writing and recipes? Subscribe to Salon Food's newsletter, The Bite.