Why From-Scratch Matters
Why From-Scratch Matters
There’s a rhythm to baking from scratch that I’ve loved for decades. It starts with simple ingredients — flour, sugar, butter, eggs — and turns into something comforting and extraordinary.
Yes, it takes a little longer than opening a box mix, but the process is where the magic lives. It’s in the smell of cinnamon as you stir, the sound of the mixer beating butter and sugar together, the way dough feels in your hands. From-scratch baking connects us to generations before us who did things the same way.
I grew up in a home where “from-scratch” wasn’t a choice, it was just how things were done. When I became a mom, I carried that forward — making banana bread, muffins, and cookies from scratch for my kids. They may have traded my homemade cookies for Oreos at school, but deep down I know those treats gave them a sense of home that store-bought couldn’t.
When I opened my bakery, the same idea guided everything we did. Customers could tell immediately that our cupcakes and squares were different — not because they were fancy, but because they were real. The ingredients were simple, the methods were honest, and the results carried a flavor that only comes from doing it the long way. I can’t count how many times I heard, “These taste just like my grandma used to make.” That was the greatest compliment I could ever receive.
Why does from-scratch matter?
Quality. You know exactly what’s going in, and you can choose the best ingredients.
Flavor. Fresh butter, real vanilla, and aromatic spices simply taste better.
Tradition. Baking this way honors the generations who came before us.
Memory-making. From-scratch recipes become part of family stories — passed down, shared, and remembered.
Sure, store-bought has its place for convenience, but it can’t replace the connection you feel when you pull out your mixing bowl and create something from the ground up. It’s more than food. It’s love, memory, and comfort all wrapped up in a recipe card.
So the next time you wonder if it’s worth it to bake from scratch, I want to encourage you: it is. Every cake, every loaf, every cookie made this way carries a little piece of you. That’s what makes it special.
from my mixing bowl to yours,
Debi