Bakers Hands

The other day a friend brought up the topic of bakers hands; I was actually really intrigued by the idea that there could be something mystical or special about baker’s hands other than just being hands. I began to wonder what defines “bakers hands,” if there were specific requirements that needed to be met to be considered true “bakers hands.” As I questioned him about it he didn’t really give me a straight answer and I realized that he was just a puzzled as I was. To further understand this idea I began to slowly break down all aspects of hands in relation to baking. With their hands an experienced baker can make anything with ease and even when using stand mixers the hands still play an important role in shaping and forming the product before baking, but did simply touching the dough at one point or another warrant hands being labeled as “bakers hands” or was there a specific aspect of hand anatomy that gave certain bakers an edge over others. 

I, being the anime freak that I am, recalled an anime that I had watched a few years back about baking called Yakitate!! Japan. This anime was about a young self-taught baker who was on a quest to create bread that would be nationally recognized as the bread of Japan. What was interesting about this young baker was that he possessed something called the “Legendary Solar Hands,” which were hands that were naturally warmer than the average person. His “solar hands” aided in the fermentation of the dough by making the dough warmer as he kneaded it. In reality this idea actually makes sense and is not unrealistic, yeast cells prefer a warmer environment and dough temperature is a key factor in the fermentation process. Yeast dough fermentation, which is especially true for artisanal breads, can be a long and time consuming process but by having that added boost of warmth will speed cellular activity and could reduce the fermentation time considerably. But does hand temperature solely define “baker’s hands?”

After a long time of reflection and research I came to the conclusion that “bakers hands” are not defined by one specific mechanism of genetics or mysticism but that they are combination of different aspects of knowledge possessed by the baker themselves which are communicated through their hands to the dough. What I mean by this is that a baker would possess “bakers hands” does so because they know how to properly knead, feel, touch, develop and shape a dough on a level that is not taught in books but learned. Through touch, feel, knowing what the dough needs, what makes it happy and literally having a love for the dough is all transmitted to the final product. For me, I lucked out genetically and have a higher than average body temperature, about 99.5° F, which I take full advantage of but I also read different books and blogs and watch different videos and try different techniques. I do not believe that my warm hands will create miracles on their own; I try and treat every day as a new learning experience and another opportunity to practice what I love to do. I want to obtain my own version of “baker’s hands” and use them to create delicious desserts and breads that will make the people who eat them happy and satisfied.

Sincerely,

 The Master Bakers Apprentice