In April, 14 confirmands came in the small village baking house in Seißen together to use the method “Bread as a social event” according to the method of the Bread Houses Network from Sofia, under the guidance of Barbara Rüd. In a creative way, the ingredients and the process of baking are connected to personal development and developments in society.
Baking in the wood-burning stoves of the baking house is still regularly practised in Seißen near Blaubeuren on the Swabian Alb. On one day in April, the young people were given a practical introduction to the special features of baking in the baking house. Many of the teenagers who grew up in the village never came into contact with this technique, never to mention to bake bread themselves. Therefore it is nice to have the confirmands in the baking house and also to use the method of joint baking.
The confirmands had to help, knead the dough themselves, fire up the oven with wood and prepare the oven for baking and bake yeast pastries, “Seißener Platz” and rolls in it. Pastor Schäffler and Vicar Max were also involved.
But a special method that took place that time in the baking house was the method of promoting community building and bread as a social event. The confirmands dealt with the different types of grain and flour and the ingredients contained in bread in a completely different way and whiteness. Flour, salt, sugar, yeast and water stand for us and our attributes and our association in society. Even joint kneading was a challenge to the youth to find a common rhythm until the end to make a smooth dough out of the different components, just as there are challenges in life that everyone has to overcome in order to develop further. In addition, they worked together creatively and challenged their imagination and their own creative skills. The symbolism and history of the Last Supper were painted and told together in the flour. Later, the kneaded yeast dough was used to make all sorts of pastries. Above all pastries which fit to the spring, suitably to the season. Easter bunnies, snails, Ulm sparrows, yeast crosses and two large grapes for the upcoming supper.
At the end everyone was allowed to taste the baked goods and gained not only new experiences, the confirmands baked together with a lot of enthusiasm and joy. Thus it was possible to turn baking into a social event.