A delicious swirl of comfort on a cold Sunday morning

Cinnamon rolls, to me, are best enjoyed fresh from the oven topped with cream cheese frosting. The simple combination of soft, chewy, warm roll, swirls of caramelized sugars, and a creamy frosting elicits the most wonderful bite of comforting nostalgia. These particular rolls were so delicious that I shamelessly enjoyed four of them throughout the morning.

I recently discovered a love for baking; a love and comfort that sparked this entire journey. I have always enjoyed cooking, however baking always felt too complex for me. The risk for error and ruining the hard work I put in made me nervous to try new recipes. Instead, I stayed in my comfort zone with cooking, never afraid to try new recipes there. Sure, I messed up here and there, but it was always less difficult to correct than if I made a mistake while baking.

My new journey into baking really began when I made my first loaf of bread from scratch in my new Dutch Oven. It was a no-knead recipe, and my first time really working with yeast. The joy I got from watching the dough rise and then baking it was incredible. The smell of fresh bread in the air was heavenly, and the taste straight from the oven with a bit of butter was truly divine; much like these cinnamon rolls. In this moment, a shift happened within me, and I began to think about baking breads and other items constantly. I began baking if I was stressed, anxious, sad, as well as happy. It has become my comfort and for me the feeling of working with my hands, and being able to focus on the present moment in time, has been essential in my own self-care.

These cinnamon rolls are just one example. I found this recipe weeks ago, and since then I have been eagerly looking forward to trying it out. I absolutely love cinnamon rolls, however I had never made them from scratch. This recipe was exciting, nerve-wracking, and definitely rewarding. Watching the dough come together, letting it rise, and then rolling it out was extremely therapeutic. Working the butter and cinnamon/brown sugar mixture onto the dough gave me something to focus on instead of everything else going on in my head. The feeling of the dough against my fingers, rolling it with my hands, helped ground me to the physical things that I can control. In a time when so many things are constantly changing, it helps to have even the smallest moments where you feel in control.

Baking has helped me begin to look at things in my life differently, in a profoundly positive way. It reminds me that it is okay to slow down, be more present, and enjoy the small comforts in life. That sometimes the most enjoyable things take time, mistakes may be made along the way (and that’s okay!), and it is always worth it to keep trying. I cannot wait to continue on this journey, and share my story with you along the way!