Baking with faith: Sharon’s story

WHILE baking is a money-making venture for many, it is different for Sharon Ngwenya as it has inspired her writing career. Her first book, entitled The Sacred Baker: Discovering God in the Art of Baking, is in the final stages of preparation. The author is gearing up for the book’s launch.

“My journey to writing The Sacred Baker: Discovering God in the Art of Baking began in 2018 when I was attached to Plumtree District Hospital. As a passionate baker, I spent every week perfecting my banana bread and carrot cake recipes. One day, while exploring new recipes, I stumbled upon one with scriptures at the end. Intrigued, I read the verses and saw baking in a new light.

“From that day, I became more intentional in learning about God through baking. My everyday prayer was for God to impress spiritual lessons through baking, and I started writing them in a makeshift book, which was just stapled bond papers, under the title ‘Baking Lessons’,” she said.

The 27-year-old says she forgot about the “book” although her passion for baking never waned. She then enrolled for baking lessons to sharpen her skills.

“After completing my attachment, I forgot about the book, but my passion for baking only grew stronger. I graduated in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and landed a contract in Triangle in December of that year. Driven by my baking passion, I pursued and achieved a Master Chef certification under Blessed Baker’s Entrepreneurs and Global Concept in 2020,” said Sharon.

Her forgotten “book” was picked up by her father, who reminded her of it and “threatened” to have it published as he was impressed by the manuscripts.

“I told him I would expand on the lessons and write a book, and then we could consider publishing it. After my contract ended in May 2022, I returned home and began writing The Sacred Baker in earnest. The journey has been wonderful, with ups and downs, but I’m thrilled to share Volume 1 with the world. More volumes are yet to come, and I am excited to continue exploring the intersection of faith and baking,” she said.

Sharon says the book contains spiritual lessons she learnt while baking. For her, baking is not just about mixing different ingredients to produce tasty cakes but a learning ground.

“The book is about the spiritual lessons that I get from baking. Volume 1 has 21 lessons, and some of the issues I touch on include how baking powder, as a raising agent, is used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of baked foods like cakes, cookies, and quick breads. If you use plain flour and forget to add baking powder, there will be no rise. That speaks to our spiritual lives: if we read the Bible, we grow spiritually, but if we do not, we shrink spiritually,” she said.

Sharon is a former Coughlan Primary School and Solusi Adventist High School student. She holds a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Environmental Science and Health from the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) and an Executive Certificate in HIV and Aids Management from the University of Zimbabwe. (UZ). She is also deepening her knowledge in counselling as she will be graduating from a United States university next month and is completing her certificate in Systemic Counselling with Nust at the end of the year. – @themkhust.