“That’s not true, mom! You make an amazing baked beans on toast!” This was what my son replied when I told him that I felt like I had failed the family by never learning how to cook.

Of course, he said this with a smile and I knew that he was just joking. As he went on to explain, there are plenty of things that are more important than knowing how to bake or cook. But, his comment still stuck with me. I wondered if I would ever find the time to enjoy cooking like my mom did.

Turning 60 is an Opportunity to Try New things… and Old Ones!

The truth is that, as a younger woman, I simply didn’t prioritize cooking or baking. I was too busy building my career. When I had a spare moment, I wanted to spend it with my kids. I’m ashamed to say that microwave dinners really did seem like a good idea for much of my life!

Now that I am in my 60s, I am slowly discovering the beauty of cooking. Perhaps it’s because I get to talk with so many talented chefs and bakers as a part of my work with Sixty and Me. Or, maybe I simply have more time to focus on my passions (or potential passions).

Whatever the reason, I am more dedicated than ever to being conscious about the food that I eat. Part of this process involved making as many dishes as possible from scratch.

Do You Love to Bake?

Along these lines, one of the skills that I have always wanted to master is baking. I still remember the smell of fresh bread baking from my childhood. I’d love to create the same atmosphere for my grandkids, but, it’s hard to know where to start.

So, I did what any respectable modern grandma would do… I googled it! What I found was a world of culinary delights at a site called Craftsy. And, one particular video course that caught my eye was “Artisan Bread Making with Peter Reinhart”

Have You Tried Artisan Bread Making? Maybe These Videos Can Help…

Like all of the video courses on Craftsy, “Artisan Bread Making with Peter Reinhart” is filmed in beautiful HD. In over 5 hours of instruction, Peter Reinhart, author and bread making expert, demonstrates how to bake 6 different types of bread.

After discussing the materials that you will need and talking about the basics of preparing your dough, Peter proceeds to demonstrate no less than 6 different kinds of bread! These include tasty French bread, rich marble rye, sandwich roles, a chocolate babka and others.

Along the way, Peter shares some of his secrets for measuring, fermenting and shaping. It’s like having your own private baking lesson with an award winning author!

If you are interested in rising to the challenge and learning how to make better bread, I encourage you to check out “Artisan Bread Making with Peter Reinhart.”

If you do decide to try this course, please let us know how you get on in the comments. I’m always on the lookout for excellent courses to help the women in our community to explore their passions. Let me know what you think of this one!

And, don’t forget that Craftsy has plenty of other courses – from knitting to cooking – so, check them out too!

Do you like to bake? What kinds of bread have you always wanted to learn how to make? What do you think of Peter Reinhart’s course? Please join the conversation.

This article is a part of a series that is focused on helping women over 60 to explore their passions. Sixty and Me has affiliate relationships and may get a share of the revenue for any items you purchase.