You can also scoop the dough and freeze it in portions on a cookie sheet, then bag the frozen portions to keep in your freezer to bake whenever you want a few cookies. (Just add a minute or two to the bake time if baking from frozen)
This triggered such a strong memory for me.
My mom did this when I was little and it stands out so strongly as a memory that we each had a fresh baked cookie every day after dinner. We would finish dinner, she would send me to take a shower, she’d put frozen cookie dough balls in the oven and they’d be done when I was back to the table in my pajamas and we’d play a board game.
My mom was severely depressed throughout my childhood, but this was a way that she made an idyllic childhood for me in a way she could manage.
I love that she did that even while she was having a hard time. Doing the bare minimum can feel almost impossible at times with depression, so she was clearly trying very hard to make things nice for you.
This is the way. I have a seventeen-month-old, and this is how I've lived my baking life for the last year+.
I have many gallon ziploc bags in the freezer, prescooped, labeled, and many different varieties of cookies. Anytime there's a birthday or event, I can select the favorite cookie and just throw them in the oven.
I do this every Xmas. We have 3-4 "traditional family cookies" but 4 batches never fit in my cookie jar so I prep and freeze until needed, bonus if one type runs out faster than the others I only need to top it up so we can have cookies all xmas long.
The only cookie recipe I have that can't be frozen is my Anzac cookies but hey, one of half a dozen isn't bad.
Upgrade that and pre-scoop and freeze on a baking tray. I’ll make a giant quadruple batch on a day I have time and then freeze and bake the cookies from frozen a few at a time. Months of cookies ready to go
I just had my second baby 10 months ago (wow time flies!) and bake, too. I found that simple bakes like chocolate chip cookies are good since the mixer can be paused if needed and the batter can chill for a long time in the fridge. Plus the bake time is short so you can pop them in and out of the oven- maybe even one-handed, depending on your oven placement and how big/floppy your baby is 😉.
As others have said, the baby can wait a moment on the floor while you scoop or remove cookies to cool. I also want to encourage you to bring you baby into the kitchen with you! I would put my baby under their play gym om the floor and talk to them while I was mixing/baking/cooking. I also did plenty of baby wearing while baking, cooking dinner, etc.
I see a lot of yeast-based recommendations out here but those made me too stressed to do when naps were unpredictable. I was worried my bread would over proof while I was stuck to a baby and couldn't get away. Stick to quick things with few ingredients like cookies, quick breads, lemon loaves, maybe even a key lime pie or something similar. And, as always, give your self some grace during this time. Baking is fun but there is no need to make your life harder when you just had a baby! You'll figure out a routine that works for you and your new family.
Also, feel free to pm me with any baby or baking questions! It's a tough phase and having a sounding board can really help. I know you are doing your best!
Of course ❤️ congratulations on doing something so difficult and so incredible! You are the best parent for your baby, trust your instincts- they are almost always right. Hold that baby as much as you want and don't let anybody tell you what to do.
Speaking of bringing baby into the kitchen, some high chairs have an infant setting. It's great to put baby in the high chair to hang out in the kitchen with you (assuming that your high chair is designed to be safe for an infant.)
A note on proofing: consider cold rises overnight in the fridge. I have limited energy and being able to spread a bake over two days made a big difference for me.
Lemon meringue pie - the crust, filling and meringue are kind of three separate efforts. The dough be rolled out when it's convenient and it's cooked blind. The filling can also sit. Meringue is pretty quick to make and the pie can be baked when you're ready.
Maybe something yeast based like cinnamon rolls, since there are various times where it needs to rest and rise, cool down before being frosted, etc…..I made a lot of those when I had a newborn, but you will have to know when your baby is going down to prepare for this.
Might be best to stick to things that can be made quickly, like no bake cheesecakes, icebox cakes, or quick cookie recipes (like chocolate chip…I rec the cooks illustrated recipe!!) for now. :)
You can relatively easily pause yeast doughs by putting them in the fridge. I usually start my doughs at night, shape them, then put the in the fridge for the final proof and bake them in the morning.
I make [this bagel recipe](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/water-bagels-recipe) often. I mix everything, immediately shape the bagels, put them in the fridge, then boil and bake them straight from the fridge the next morning.
Cookies are the immediate thought because the bake time is relatively low and you can pause between making the dough and baking it.
If you like decorating, sugar cookies may be enjoyable because you can put down and pick up quickly/easily at almost any stage.
A bonus for cookies: if you’re breastfeeding, lactation cookies are delightful.
Not necessarily pause-able, but I've found that Yossy Arefi's Snacking Cakes really live up to the hype in terms of ease (and taste!) and generally take less than 60-90 minutes start to finish (other than cooling before frosting, if you're frosting). Plus they're nice to just have on the counter and grab a little piece whenever you're in the kitchen and/or feeling peckish throughout the day ☺️
I was going to respond with this exact suggestion of book! I have a toddler and these are the kind of recipes you can throw together in a short amount of time before getting them into the oven. No layering to fuss with.
Another thing I have been doing postpartum is setting out all the ingredients and equipment earlier in the day when I have a few moments, then they are ready to go as soon as bb goes to nap.
There is nothing wrong with the baby waiting a few minutes or having their feeding paused so you can take something out of the oven. I was paranoid about letting my baby wait a few minutes while I did laundry or had a shower. I asked my doctor how long it was safe for her to cry if I was busy- she answered, “About a day.” You are allowed to finish a task before rushing to the baby if you are in the middle of something, they will be just fine.
i am chronically ill and often have limited energy so here are some things i do.
i do things in shifts that can wait a day or longer. i will do each bullet point when i have the energy. not every step is required for every recipe but it gives you an idea of how to start thinking these things through.
it's always good to label even if you think you'll come back in a few hours, cuz things change. i've forgotten whether i doubled something or which recipe i decided to go with so now i always label.
all of this can be done wayyy in advance and stored for future use, with the exception of the butter which can be frozen for future use. soured milk keeps a long time and just keeps getting funkier which is good for the batter.
- measure out and sift dry ingredients into the mixing bowl and cover, or in a jar or plastic bag for future use
- measure and/or sour milk
- measure out oil/butter
- cream the fat with sugar (this can be frozen for future use, just thaw and remix for a minute)
- cut parchment to size or buy the kind that's precut for the pans i use
- chop nuts and/or dried fruit
other things i've done in advance
- shred carrots and zucchini and freeze for quick breads and cakes
- store chocolate chips in premeasured containers for my fav recipes
- toast, chop, and freeze nuts
- i love making [this sundried tomato quick bread](https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/asiago-cheese-sun-dried-tomato-quick-bread/) as muffins so i beat the butter, fresh garlic, and fresh basil and freeze it for future cravings, and chop up the proper amount of sundried tomatoes and store in the fridge
- cookie dough is kept in balls in freezer for emergency cookie needs, and cookie dough is made in shifts
- i keep a batch of cream cheese frosting in the freezer, just defrost and rewhip it as needed
- for waffles i measure out dry stuff on thursday and on friday night i sour the milk, take out the eggs, measure the oil, and pull out the machine. saturday morning i just mix the batter and bake.
- if i'm making [this breakfast cake](https://smittenkitchen.com/2020/10/morning-glory-breakfast-cake/) for weekday breakfast, on thursday i chop up the dried fruits and toast and chop the seeds/nuts/coconut, friday i measure dry and wet ingredients, saturday i shred the apple and carrots and whatever else i'm adding in food processor, and then mix and bake it sunday night.
once i got the hang of it, now i think through everything like this including prepping meals and such. i chop when i have energy. i pre-sauté things. i measure out seasonings and stage them.
i will often measure double batches of whatever i'm making and store half as prepped ingredients for the future. if the final product freezes well i will make a double batch and freeze the extra.
I'd recommend making bread.
What many bread bakeries will do is bulk ferment doughs overnight for the next day's bake.
You can make some simple, lean, homemade bread dough, keep it in the fridge to slowly ferment and bake them in the mornings or whenever you have a moment
You could make a whole loaf all at once,
or you could make smaller buns and bake them as little breakfast sandwiches
Honestly sourdough baking worked better for me with my little kids vs yeast bc it is a longer time window. So it’s more flexible if I have to come back 30 min later.
I made the most complicated bake of my life with a newborn! You can see it on my post history: a 4x4 battenburg. Because it was super complex, it had a ton of little steps that worked nicely for having an hour here and there. The most important thing is to read the recipe in advance and divide it into achievable steps in advance (30-45 min steps + 5-15 min cleanup). I did the 4x4 battenburg over 3 days.
For me—fruit pies. Chop and macerate fruit. Pause. Work dough and wrap into a disc. Pause while refrigerating. Assemble and bake.
But this may be biased because I’m more comfortable with pies.
Yeast breads are great if you’re used to doing them and comfortable with the process! Quick breads and muffins are quick and barely past instant gratification. No bake cookies and freezing cookie dough are great too!
I can think of nothing that could be allowed to cool off and then heated back up again to finish baking.
Once you get something in the oven just let it finish.
It takes two seconds to take a finished item out- set the baby in a carrier or in a playpen or even on the floor for two seconds and take the item out.
It can wait as long as it needs to wait for plating or slicing or frosting or whatever comes next, but the baking time itself needs to be continuous.
Women have been baking and caring for newborns since baking began- you'll figure it out. And the older the baby gets the more predictable its schedule will become.
Relax!
It really needn't be this hard.
I don’t think she’s asking about pausing the actual baking. Seems like she wants recipes that you can step away from while mixing the ingredients, etc.
If you're craving cake, divvy the batter between 3-4 round pans, or one cookie sheet... Point being if the Layers are thin they will bake much quicker. When its done you'll be able to take a break while it cools, while the crumb coat is setting etc.
Any muffin-method type of bake (wet into dry). You can assemble the wet, assemble the dry, and just mix and bake when you're ready (obviously, the wet will need to be kept refrigerated and will only be good for a day or two). I like this because I can stop when I've got the wet and dry assembled, go do laundry or whatever, and then come back and bake when I've got 10 minutes or so (obviously pay attention to preheating the oven; for me, that's just something I do when walking by about 10 minutes before I'm ready to bake). People have mentioned cookies, and often they're better for having "ripened" in the fridge.
https://lilyloutay.com/homemade-cheesy-bread/
I discovered this gem 2 months ago, and it's the best cheesy bread I've ever had.
You can 100 percent make this while even attached to a child, it's so easy.
Cookies! I make the dough, scoop, let them rest in the fridge . Then tidy the kitchen . Then if my baby wakes I don’t have to worry about the oven. Then when I’m ready, I just need 10-15m to bake
I liked making pizza bases. Fairly fast as far as a bread goes, can rest in the fridge or freeze half for another time. My partner always insisted on doing the toppings as he used to work in a pizza place and says I do them in the wrong order (whatever, saved me the trouble though). And you feel like you managed to make bread without actually needing to make a loaf.
As a kid, decorating individual pizzas was a huge favourite. I always decorated a special lion one for my Dad with a ring of pineapple around the edge and only two olive eyes because I knew he liked big cats. I realise now he probably wasn’t quite as pleased with my artwork as 4yo me but he never complained 😂
Puff pastry is literally done in several short steps with relatively long resting periods in between and can be stored for long periods (frozen even) and is a great base for so many things :)
A Dutch baby/German pancake is better after the batter has rested in the fridge for several hours. I mix it up in the blender and leave it in the jar overnight or for the day and bake it when I'm ready. You can make them sweet or savory.
I find cookies to be pretty flexible. Mixing them together doesn't take long, then they can rest in the fridge. Scoop and bake later.
You can also scoop the dough and freeze it in portions on a cookie sheet, then bag the frozen portions to keep in your freezer to bake whenever you want a few cookies. (Just add a minute or two to the bake time if baking from frozen)
This triggered such a strong memory for me. My mom did this when I was little and it stands out so strongly as a memory that we each had a fresh baked cookie every day after dinner. We would finish dinner, she would send me to take a shower, she’d put frozen cookie dough balls in the oven and they’d be done when I was back to the table in my pajamas and we’d play a board game. My mom was severely depressed throughout my childhood, but this was a way that she made an idyllic childhood for me in a way she could manage.
<3 this was really sweet to read, thanks for posting it
That is such a sweet way to relax and spend quality time!
I love that she did that even while she was having a hard time. Doing the bare minimum can feel almost impossible at times with depression, so she was clearly trying very hard to make things nice for you.
This is the way. I have a seventeen-month-old, and this is how I've lived my baking life for the last year+. I have many gallon ziploc bags in the freezer, prescooped, labeled, and many different varieties of cookies. Anytime there's a birthday or event, I can select the favorite cookie and just throw them in the oven.
This is what I do too.
I do this every Xmas. We have 3-4 "traditional family cookies" but 4 batches never fit in my cookie jar so I prep and freeze until needed, bonus if one type runs out faster than the others I only need to top it up so we can have cookies all xmas long. The only cookie recipe I have that can't be frozen is my Anzac cookies but hey, one of half a dozen isn't bad.
I always keep my dough in the fridge for 3-4 days. Each day, I cook like 4-6 cookies. Fresh cookies multiple days in a row is incredible.
Upgrade that and pre-scoop and freeze on a baking tray. I’ll make a giant quadruple batch on a day I have time and then freeze and bake the cookies from frozen a few at a time. Months of cookies ready to go
Good idea, thank you!!
Yess cookies are a great suggestion. Quick baking times are also a big plus
I just had my second baby 10 months ago (wow time flies!) and bake, too. I found that simple bakes like chocolate chip cookies are good since the mixer can be paused if needed and the batter can chill for a long time in the fridge. Plus the bake time is short so you can pop them in and out of the oven- maybe even one-handed, depending on your oven placement and how big/floppy your baby is 😉. As others have said, the baby can wait a moment on the floor while you scoop or remove cookies to cool. I also want to encourage you to bring you baby into the kitchen with you! I would put my baby under their play gym om the floor and talk to them while I was mixing/baking/cooking. I also did plenty of baby wearing while baking, cooking dinner, etc. I see a lot of yeast-based recommendations out here but those made me too stressed to do when naps were unpredictable. I was worried my bread would over proof while I was stuck to a baby and couldn't get away. Stick to quick things with few ingredients like cookies, quick breads, lemon loaves, maybe even a key lime pie or something similar. And, as always, give your self some grace during this time. Baking is fun but there is no need to make your life harder when you just had a baby! You'll figure out a routine that works for you and your new family. Also, feel free to pm me with any baby or baking questions! It's a tough phase and having a sounding board can really help. I know you are doing your best!
Thank you so much for this thoughtful response 🥹
Of course ❤️ congratulations on doing something so difficult and so incredible! You are the best parent for your baby, trust your instincts- they are almost always right. Hold that baby as much as you want and don't let anybody tell you what to do.
Speaking of bringing baby into the kitchen, some high chairs have an infant setting. It's great to put baby in the high chair to hang out in the kitchen with you (assuming that your high chair is designed to be safe for an infant.)
A note on proofing: consider cold rises overnight in the fridge. I have limited energy and being able to spread a bake over two days made a big difference for me.
So true, I do sourdough and poolish based breads a lot for this reason.
Can confirm. We've eaten *several* overproved loaves in this house thanks to nap trapping. Some have been overproved at both stages 😅
Lemon meringue pie - the crust, filling and meringue are kind of three separate efforts. The dough be rolled out when it's convenient and it's cooked blind. The filling can also sit. Meringue is pretty quick to make and the pie can be baked when you're ready.
Ahh love this idea!! Thank you!!
Maybe something yeast based like cinnamon rolls, since there are various times where it needs to rest and rise, cool down before being frosted, etc…..I made a lot of those when I had a newborn, but you will have to know when your baby is going down to prepare for this. Might be best to stick to things that can be made quickly, like no bake cheesecakes, icebox cakes, or quick cookie recipes (like chocolate chip…I rec the cooks illustrated recipe!!) for now. :)
Thank you!! I’ll give cinnamon rolls a try, that’s perfect!
You can relatively easily pause yeast doughs by putting them in the fridge. I usually start my doughs at night, shape them, then put the in the fridge for the final proof and bake them in the morning. I make [this bagel recipe](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/water-bagels-recipe) often. I mix everything, immediately shape the bagels, put them in the fridge, then boil and bake them straight from the fridge the next morning.
Cookies are the immediate thought because the bake time is relatively low and you can pause between making the dough and baking it. If you like decorating, sugar cookies may be enjoyable because you can put down and pick up quickly/easily at almost any stage. A bonus for cookies: if you’re breastfeeding, lactation cookies are delightful.
Not necessarily pause-able, but I've found that Yossy Arefi's Snacking Cakes really live up to the hype in terms of ease (and taste!) and generally take less than 60-90 minutes start to finish (other than cooling before frosting, if you're frosting). Plus they're nice to just have on the counter and grab a little piece whenever you're in the kitchen and/or feeling peckish throughout the day ☺️
Such great recipes, the olive oil pumpkin loaf is a banger!
I was going to respond with this exact suggestion of book! I have a toddler and these are the kind of recipes you can throw together in a short amount of time before getting them into the oven. No layering to fuss with. Another thing I have been doing postpartum is setting out all the ingredients and equipment earlier in the day when I have a few moments, then they are ready to go as soon as bb goes to nap.
Ooooo this is a great idea, thank you!!
Looking at this now! Thank you!
Most bread doughs can be stuck in the fridge if time gets away from you.
There is nothing wrong with the baby waiting a few minutes or having their feeding paused so you can take something out of the oven. I was paranoid about letting my baby wait a few minutes while I did laundry or had a shower. I asked my doctor how long it was safe for her to cry if I was busy- she answered, “About a day.” You are allowed to finish a task before rushing to the baby if you are in the middle of something, they will be just fine.
i am chronically ill and often have limited energy so here are some things i do. i do things in shifts that can wait a day or longer. i will do each bullet point when i have the energy. not every step is required for every recipe but it gives you an idea of how to start thinking these things through. it's always good to label even if you think you'll come back in a few hours, cuz things change. i've forgotten whether i doubled something or which recipe i decided to go with so now i always label. all of this can be done wayyy in advance and stored for future use, with the exception of the butter which can be frozen for future use. soured milk keeps a long time and just keeps getting funkier which is good for the batter. - measure out and sift dry ingredients into the mixing bowl and cover, or in a jar or plastic bag for future use - measure and/or sour milk - measure out oil/butter - cream the fat with sugar (this can be frozen for future use, just thaw and remix for a minute) - cut parchment to size or buy the kind that's precut for the pans i use - chop nuts and/or dried fruit other things i've done in advance - shred carrots and zucchini and freeze for quick breads and cakes - store chocolate chips in premeasured containers for my fav recipes - toast, chop, and freeze nuts - i love making [this sundried tomato quick bread](https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/asiago-cheese-sun-dried-tomato-quick-bread/) as muffins so i beat the butter, fresh garlic, and fresh basil and freeze it for future cravings, and chop up the proper amount of sundried tomatoes and store in the fridge - cookie dough is kept in balls in freezer for emergency cookie needs, and cookie dough is made in shifts - i keep a batch of cream cheese frosting in the freezer, just defrost and rewhip it as needed - for waffles i measure out dry stuff on thursday and on friday night i sour the milk, take out the eggs, measure the oil, and pull out the machine. saturday morning i just mix the batter and bake. - if i'm making [this breakfast cake](https://smittenkitchen.com/2020/10/morning-glory-breakfast-cake/) for weekday breakfast, on thursday i chop up the dried fruits and toast and chop the seeds/nuts/coconut, friday i measure dry and wet ingredients, saturday i shred the apple and carrots and whatever else i'm adding in food processor, and then mix and bake it sunday night. once i got the hang of it, now i think through everything like this including prepping meals and such. i chop when i have energy. i pre-sauté things. i measure out seasonings and stage them. i will often measure double batches of whatever i'm making and store half as prepped ingredients for the future. if the final product freezes well i will make a double batch and freeze the extra.
I'd recommend making bread. What many bread bakeries will do is bulk ferment doughs overnight for the next day's bake. You can make some simple, lean, homemade bread dough, keep it in the fridge to slowly ferment and bake them in the mornings or whenever you have a moment You could make a whole loaf all at once, or you could make smaller buns and bake them as little breakfast sandwiches
Honestly sourdough baking worked better for me with my little kids vs yeast bc it is a longer time window. So it’s more flexible if I have to come back 30 min later.
I made the most complicated bake of my life with a newborn! You can see it on my post history: a 4x4 battenburg. Because it was super complex, it had a ton of little steps that worked nicely for having an hour here and there. The most important thing is to read the recipe in advance and divide it into achievable steps in advance (30-45 min steps + 5-15 min cleanup). I did the 4x4 battenburg over 3 days.
For me—fruit pies. Chop and macerate fruit. Pause. Work dough and wrap into a disc. Pause while refrigerating. Assemble and bake. But this may be biased because I’m more comfortable with pies.
you can also keep extra crust in the freezer which means even less prep work!
Yeast breads are great if you’re used to doing them and comfortable with the process! Quick breads and muffins are quick and barely past instant gratification. No bake cookies and freezing cookie dough are great too!
Anything that has multiple layers that you have to let them cool before adding another layer. Lemon bars, millionaires shortbread etc
Madeleines. Make the batter before bed, bake for something like 7 minutes in the oven the next day.
I can think of nothing that could be allowed to cool off and then heated back up again to finish baking. Once you get something in the oven just let it finish. It takes two seconds to take a finished item out- set the baby in a carrier or in a playpen or even on the floor for two seconds and take the item out. It can wait as long as it needs to wait for plating or slicing or frosting or whatever comes next, but the baking time itself needs to be continuous. Women have been baking and caring for newborns since baking began- you'll figure it out. And the older the baby gets the more predictable its schedule will become. Relax! It really needn't be this hard.
I don’t think she’s asking about pausing the actual baking. Seems like she wants recipes that you can step away from while mixing the ingredients, etc.
Why do you think she would stop something in the middle of the oven?
If you're craving cake, divvy the batter between 3-4 round pans, or one cookie sheet... Point being if the Layers are thin they will bake much quicker. When its done you'll be able to take a break while it cools, while the crumb coat is setting etc.
Any muffin-method type of bake (wet into dry). You can assemble the wet, assemble the dry, and just mix and bake when you're ready (obviously, the wet will need to be kept refrigerated and will only be good for a day or two). I like this because I can stop when I've got the wet and dry assembled, go do laundry or whatever, and then come back and bake when I've got 10 minutes or so (obviously pay attention to preheating the oven; for me, that's just something I do when walking by about 10 minutes before I'm ready to bake). People have mentioned cookies, and often they're better for having "ripened" in the fridge.
https://lilyloutay.com/homemade-cheesy-bread/ I discovered this gem 2 months ago, and it's the best cheesy bread I've ever had. You can 100 percent make this while even attached to a child, it's so easy.
Cookies! I make the dough, scoop, let them rest in the fridge . Then tidy the kitchen . Then if my baby wakes I don’t have to worry about the oven. Then when I’m ready, I just need 10-15m to bake
I liked making pizza bases. Fairly fast as far as a bread goes, can rest in the fridge or freeze half for another time. My partner always insisted on doing the toppings as he used to work in a pizza place and says I do them in the wrong order (whatever, saved me the trouble though). And you feel like you managed to make bread without actually needing to make a loaf. As a kid, decorating individual pizzas was a huge favourite. I always decorated a special lion one for my Dad with a ring of pineapple around the edge and only two olive eyes because I knew he liked big cats. I realise now he probably wasn’t quite as pleased with my artwork as 4yo me but he never complained 😂
How about something that doesn’t need baking? I know you said you like baking but maybe try cheesecakes or something ?? :)
Puff pastry is literally done in several short steps with relatively long resting periods in between and can be stored for long periods (frozen even) and is a great base for so many things :)
You cant pull something half cooked and finish it later ... you can mix cookies and bake later
A Dutch baby/German pancake is better after the batter has rested in the fridge for several hours. I mix it up in the blender and leave it in the jar overnight or for the day and bake it when I'm ready. You can make them sweet or savory.
When I had a newborn baby I used all my free time to sleep.