With working ovens and plenty of time due to coronavirus-related stay-at-home orders, many Americans are trying their hands at baking bread.
Karen Colberg, Co-CEO of King Arthur Flour, told Cheddar Monday that people are looking for a way to pass the time.
“I think, right now, in such uncertain times, baking is such a comfort," Colberg said.
Unlike a batch of cookies, or even cupcakes, which can sometimes be made in half an hour, bread requires several hours to prepare. Now that many have the time to dedicate to the process, Colberg contends that baking bread can be more than just food prep.
“There is something really therapeutic about getting your hands, literally, in the dough and creating something.”
Google is reporting an all-time high for searches about bread, and Colberg said the most popular recipe is for sourdough starter, which requires an even greater amount of tending than a non-sourdough loaf.
“There’s been over 1.5 million views to this one recipe page over the past few weeks,” she said. “It’s elevating your baking game, particularly if you were already a bread baker.”
For those who might need a little bit more guidance in the kitchen, King Arthur’s Baker's Hotline has been operating for 25 years and is staffed with trained bakers who can answer all of your baking questions.
“We have seen doubled, probably two-and-a-half times, the numbers of inquiries through the hotline over the past couple of weeks, and then we have a really active engagement on social,” Colberg said.
The popularity of baking has increased the demand for flour and yeast and some suppliers are calling it "unprecedented." Colberg said to keep up with the uptick, her company is introducing a new packaging size to carry their flour.
“We’re working with a partner that normally wouldn’t be bagging our flour telling them, 'Here is a new pack size. How quickly can you get this up and running?' By the end of this week and over the next few months we will have over one million additional all-purpose flour [packages] getting out there,” she said.
Lukas Alpert of MarketWatch explores how networks, brands, and ad buyers absorb the shockwaves when late‑night show hosts are suddenly cut — and brought back.
A new poll finds U.S. adults are more likely than they were a year ago to think immigrants in the country legally benefit the economy. That comes as President Donald Trump's administration imposes new restrictions targeting legal pathways into the country. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey finds Americans are more likely than they were in March 2024 to say it’s a “major benefit” that people who come to the U.S. legally contribute to the economy and help American companies get the expertise of skilled workers. At the same time, perceptions of illegal immigration haven’t shifted meaningfully. Americans still see fewer benefits from people who come to the U.S. illegally.
Shares of Tylenol maker Kenvue are bouncing back sharply before the opening bell a day after President Donald Trump promoted unproven and in some cases discredited ties between Tylenol, vaccines and autism. Trump told pregnant women not to use the painkiller around a dozen times during the White House news conference Monday. The drugmaker tumbled 7.5%. Shares have regained most of those losses early Tuesday in premarket trading.
Scott Trench, host of the BiggerPockets Money Podcast, explores how recent rate cuts, high borrowing costs, and mortgage rates are reshaping U.S. real estate.
A look into how disruption, AI, and global economic trends are transforming the modern supply chain with Jeremy Jansen, Head of Supply Chain at Wells Fargo.
Delta CSO Amelia DeLuca reveals at the Fast Co. Innovation Festival how tech, sustainable aviation fuel, and smart operations are revolutionizing air travel.
