That pull-out board in your kitchen? It’s hiding a delicious secret. Long before it became a spot for chopping herbs or cubing cheese, it was designed for something far more wholesome: baking bread.
In traditional kitchens, these boards were essential for kneading and shaping dough. Their smooth, flat surface made them ideal for working with sticky, flour-covered hands. Some bakers even used them as a resting place for dough before it went into the oven.
But as homemade bread lost popularity, the board’s purpose evolved. Now, it’s just another prep surface—convenient but disconnected from its history.
If you’ve been baking more lately, why not return it to its roots? A well-maintained wooden board (maple is best!) resists bacteria and lasts for years. Clean it with baking soda, dry it thoroughly, and treat it with food-grade oil to keep it in top shape.
So next time you pull it out, think beyond chopping. Maybe it’s time to dust off the flour and bake something wonderful.
