- Feel Good
- 25th Feb 2026
- 0
- 0 minute
Anti Doom Scroll Diaries: Swap the scroll for baking
If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably lost more than a few hours to the scroll — flicking through bite-sized content that feels briefly engaging but ultimately leaves you a little… flat.
It’s so easy. There’s always another reel, another headline, another algorithm-designed distraction.
But what if we replaced the scroll with something slower, softer — and far more satisfying?
For me, baking is the antidote.
I grew up learning to bake, and as an adult, I’ve rediscovered just how grounding it can be. Choosing a recipe. Checking the cupboards. Lining the tins. The simple rhythm of measuring, mixing and waiting. And at the end (all being well), there’s something homemade to share — or to enjoy with a cup of tea and a moment of calm.
Stock your anti-scroll baking kit
If you’re serious about swapping screen time for oven time, preparation is key. Keep a few baking staples in your cupboard and you’re always ready to go:
- Plain flour
- Self-raising flour
- Baking powder
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Golden caster sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Cocoa powder
- Free-range eggs
- Proper butter (no margarine here)
With these on hand, you can whip up anything from scones to brownies without a supermarket dash.
What should you bake?
Simple: bake what you love to eat.
There’s no point making something you’re not excited about. I’ve recently attempted croissants (jury’s still out), but I return time and again to classics.
BBC Good Food is a reliable favourite — their buttermilk scones are fail-safe, and the “best ever chocolate brownies” always earn compliments. Cookies are another winner, especially if you freeze the dough in balls so you can bake fresh batches on demand.
The sponge experiment
Lately, I’ve been on a mission to create the perfect sponge cake.
Traditionally, I’d cream butter and sugar, add eggs, fold in flour — the whole ritual. But even with my trusty Kenwood, the sponge never felt quite as soft as I wanted.
Ironically (and yes, I see the contradiction), the inspiration for my breakthrough came via TikTok. I saw a baker using oil instead of butter for a lighter texture. Intrigued, I headed to my trusted recipe source and found the Naughty Chocolate Fudge Cake on BBC Good Food.
It’s wonderfully simple — no creaming, no complicated folding, barely any washing up. Alongside your cupboard staples, you’ll just need sunflower oil and golden syrup.
A few tweaks I swear by:
- Add a pinch of salt to the flour mix — it intensifies the chocolate flavour beautifully.
- Do the same in the icing.
- Beat the butter on its own first before adding icing sugar and cocoa powder.
- Whip it for longer than you think you need to — that’s how you get that light, fluffy buttercream.
The result? Incredibly soft, deeply chocolatey and dangerously moreish.
The vanilla redemption
Emboldened, I tried the same oil-based approach for a vanilla sponge. Disappointingly, it felt flat and a little forgettable.
So back to research (the productive kind). This time, I discovered a Japanese technique using hot milk in the batter. It sounded intimidating — but following the method carefully paid off. The result was beautifully light, fluffy and full of flavour.
It didn’t last long.
I’m still perfecting my icing skills, but honestly, that feels like part of the joy — the learning, the tweaking, the quiet focus.
There’s something deeply satisfying about replacing endless scrolling with something tactile and real.
So this weekend, instead of losing an hour online, preheat the oven. Bake something simple. Put the kettle on. Then sit down with a slice of cake and a good book — or our Sunday Supplement — and enjoy a moment that feels genuinely nourishing.
Because freedom from the scroll doesn’t have to be dramatic. Sometimes it just smells like vanilla and warm sugar.
Rosie Barker
Head of Sales
Rosie is our Head of Sales. She was our first hire when we started to grow, and has loved growing with the team and expanding her relationships with the lovely business owners in the North East. Rosie has over nine years of experience in publishing and advertising sales, having jumped…
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