Is everyone baking except me? – A Berlin Coronavirus Diary

I wasn't planning on going to the grocery store today, but I passed a fairly empty Lidl on my walk (should we call them constitutionals to sound fancier?) so I popped in. Under normal circumstances, I go to the grocery store every couple of days and buy a few things. I like grocery stores, even after several years in Germany, I get a kick out of browsing the selection – less than most US supermarkets, but much cheaper – and trying out the pre- and semi-prepared foods. These days, I'm trying to go less frequently and spend less time there, which means that I am keeping a list and don't linger as much.

Inspired by some other people's activity on Instagram and elsewhere, I wanted to buy some fresh yeast to try baking bread. I've never baked bread (excluding things like banana bread or corn bread which work differently) before, and why not try something new? Unfortunately...

(Photo of a refrigerated shelf, above the sign for "fresh baking yeast" for 9 cents, the shelf is empty. Below the price tag, there's a handmade sign that says in German "Yeast -> max 3 portions")

Mike & Steph's Bread

Lennart's Crusty Bread Rolls

He posted a photo of his recipe and it calls for dry yeast, so maybe I could still get that?

Tom's Bread

Thanks to my shopping list, I got most of what I wanted: juice, salad fixings, veggies, sweet & savory snacks, chocolate, lactose-free milk. Maybe on my next grocery, I'll be able to get yeast and then the bread baking will commence!

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"A Berlin Coronavirus Diary" posts are little windows into my life in Berlin during the COVID–19 pandemic. Since things are changing so much from day to day, I'm trying to capture some of the moments and stories from this unusual time. Read the rest of the posts here.