We Knead Each other

W e K n e a d E a c h O t h e r

It’s never fun to be sick or hurt, forced into a mandatory time out.

However, there is an upside.

Binge watching! Like a very clumsy ninja of Netflix stealth, I have taken out Gilmore Girls, Raising Hope and almost every British show that is focused around the WWII era.
And this last attack of infirmity brought about a new obsession: The Great British Bake Off.

I am already beginning the mourning process because I know that I’m just a few shows away from the finale. Do I bake? Nope. Do I plan too? Nooo. Am I British? Yes. Well, half. Perhaps it is this slight connection that draws me in or the fact that these bakers are not professionals yet they episodically manage to impress me with their fantastically bizarre combinations of flavors and decorations. Whatever it is, I am hooked.
And this current obsession has brought me to a new confectionery enlightenment…

Bakers are scientists.

Seriously. It’s not like cooking. Admittedly, I am not much of a cook either. My husband, however, when in the mood, loves it. He buzzes around the kitchen like a Tasmanian Devil. He grabs ingredients and throws them together, while proudly announcing, “I have no idea what I am doing.” Even if he has a recipe, he uses it more like a suggestion card. Those of you who have been on the receiving end of his chaos would agree with me that his methods, or lack thereof, seem to work.

But they wouldn’t work in the bakers’ tent set on the grounds of the English Manor.

There, precision is required. Every gram of every ingredient is measured and remeasured. Think about the beloved middle school volcano, a chemical reaction of common baking ingredients causes the eruption. A miscalculation can be the differences between a blue ribbon and massive failure.

And food stuffs are not the only variables within the baker’s lab. For example, the humidity can play havoc with meringues and caramels. And then there is time. Certain baked goods must proof, allowing yeast time to work its magic. Also, temperature. It’ll make or break you.

But the thing that has intrigued me the most is kneading.

There are times that, while kneading, the bakers will be super aggressive. They will literally flog the countertop with their dough. Other times the dough receives a gentle massaging. It may end up a sticky mess or a perfectly round ball of goodness. I’ve been tuning into their explanations during this process and I think I’m starting to understand.

Blending flour and water together, whether by mixer or by hand, releases “glutenin proteins in the flour and expands and form strands of gluten, which gives bread its texture. The kneading warms and stretches these gluten strands…” per Wikipedia. After the proofing, sometimes the bakers must knock back or punch the dough to release any gas pockets. My favorite part is when they hold the dough up in front of a window and allow it to stretch. The goal is for them to be able to see through it as it stretches thin, but not for it to break. If under-kneaded, it is flat, loose and tears easy because the gluten is not elastic enough. Over-kneaded dough also tears easy, but it is because the gluten is too tight and has no give.

While listening to the brilliant Brits (shout out to my countrymen) explain this rule, something else clicked.

Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from the enemy.
Proverbs 27:6

That bit of Biblical wisdom can be a bit disconcerting. Why do I want wounds from a friend? Why not kisses from an enemy? At least if they are kissing you, they aren’t killing you.

But just like a perfectly risen, soft and delicious loaf of bread that is ready to be presented– we have to go through a lot of processes. Part of that process is being confronted with the Truth. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, this is the job of the Holy Spirit; but he often uses our relationships to do it. The disclaimer on that is that, as friends being used by the Holy Spirit, we must use caution. Much like the need to carefully measure each ingredient used in baking, we also need to measure our words, considering carefully what one says.

So let’s say you did measure your words and with lots of prayer and consideration and truth was spoken. However, your friend receives it like a stab to their heart. What then? Were you wrong to have spoken anything?
Re-read the scripture.

I’m not sure where I heard this, but you’ve probably heard it to…
A friend cares more about their friend than their friendship.

It’s not easy being the person who is being pressed and stretched, nor is it easy being the one doing it. But if we don’t go through the processes and allow God to use people to “knead ”us or us to “knead” other people, then we become tight and tear easy. Part of our goals should be to become people who can be stretched, but not ripped apart. Then when we are mixed, proofed, beaten down, and put through the fire we will become what we were meant to be. Useful.
Our lives should nourish other people.