Flour Play: A BIPOC Baking Lab 2023 Recap

Last winter, February -March 2023, Deep Routes launched our inaugural Black and Indigenous foodways centered baking course “Flour Play: A BIPOC Baking Lab”!

This pilot of “Flour Play” was a hybrid series where we went into 101 level (think simple cakes, cookies, and breads) techniques for beginner bakers by offering hands-on in-person sessions (to practice and apply fundamental baking techniques and concepts) in tandem with foundational virtual Zoom sessions. All of which culminated in a Closing Celebration Session in March.

During the series we held introductory discussions about the plants, bakers, and farmers of African, Asian, and Indigenous diasporas that make modern baking possible.

Huge thanks to Maxine Williams who documented the series! You can find the short form videos she shot of participants making their cookies and other baked goods on our TikTok and IG.

For a further peek into the class, check out the video below (photographs by April Chong).

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Participant Reflections

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Participant Reflections 🧁

“This was an amazing experience! It's brought me closer to my friends, partners, coworkers, and the other folks in the class. I did love learning and not being intimidated by baking but the bonds forged by cookies and tea cakes are really special to me!”

2023 Workshop Participant

“Maya was amazing!! I really appreciated her thoughtful answers to our questions, and her presence as a facilitator both in person and online was really grounding. She taught me a lot and was super kind to make herself available for individual questions and feedback.”

2023 Workshop Participant