As people stayed home to quarantine, many turned their attention to making sourdough bread. Finding starters, cultivating the living blobs and baking them into delectable, or disastrous, loaves took over many people's to-do lists.
Next came dalgona coffee, the Instagram-worthy whipped coffee drink made from just a few ingredients.
Now, maybe as a result of the caffeine kick from the last trendy recipe or a general desire to add a little brightness into our lives while living through a global health pandemic, cloud bread is taking over social media feeds.
This fluffy, colorful loaf is part meringue, part bread and perfect for kitchen creativity. Needing just three ingredients, a mixer or very dedicated person with a hand whisk, and a little time in a low-heat oven, cloud bread has become the latest quarantine baking craze.
The recent social media fascination with cloud bread may have started with TikTok user @linqanaaa, who made a version of the recipe with almonds for her followers. From there, the internet took the recipe and ran. TikTok and Instagram now feature pictures of pink, blue, tie-dye, sprinkle-covered and Oreo-filled varieties of the bread. So, naturally, we tried to make it ourselves.
What is cloud bread?
When she first saw cloud bread, Tempe baker Tracey Dempsey says it reminded her of the fluffy Japanese cheesecakes that have already captured the internet's attention or Pao de Queijo, a Brazilian gluten-free cheese bread.
Cloud bread, however, is most similar in technique to French meringue, Dempsey says. The simple recipe is something she uses to make meringue cookies or piped "kisses" used to decorate cakes.
The French method doesn't require heat, like the Swiss method of making meringue, nor does it require sugar syrup, which the Italian meringue method uses.
The bread is made from egg whites, sugar and cornstarch. It's gluten-free, low in carbs and may have originated with a recipe from the Atkins diet, according to Eater and The Kitchn. A savory variation of the bread includes cream cheese and can be used to make smaller buns for sandwiches.
But instead of potential health benefits, the latest version of cloud bread instead focuses on the fluffy and colorful aesthetic. The mixture of whipped egg whites can be dyed with food coloring to create sunset-rivaling colors and topped with sprinkles to take the design even further.
"It's creating magic at home," Dempsey says. "And then you can eat it, it's edible art."
Here's why baking is so popular right now
Two of the reasons Dempsey guesses cloud bread has gone viral during the pandemic are creativity and boredom.
"I think we are very curious creatures and we want to try things and experiment," she says. "You want to do something to keep your brain from stewing on everything that's going on."
Some other elements of the pandemic may be at play as well, she says. For a while, flour was extremely difficult to find. Eggs, sugar and cornstarch, however, were easier to come across at stores and were likely already in many bakers' home kitchens.
Also, making cloud bread is easy. Other trends, like sourdough, are much more difficult.
"Everybody became a home cook overnight in March," Dempsey says, remembering the bombardment of phone calls she received from people asking for sourdough starter.
But home cooks brand new to baking ended up with many failed loaves. When there are only three ingredients, however, recipes like cloud bread are easier to tackle.
"People feel satisfied when they make something," Dempsey says."To cloud bread, I say bravo! People should make it, how fun."
How to make cloud bread
The recipe for cloud bread is a pretty simple 3,2,1 ratio of 3 egg whites, 2 ½ tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
First, crack the eggs and separate them being very careful not to get any yolk in the egg whites. Add these to a bowl and whisk until bubbly and light in color.
Then, gradually add sugar while whisking the mixture at a medium to high speed (I used setting 6 and 8 on a KitchenAid stand mixer). Once the mixture becomes white and foamy, add the cornstarch and whip until combined.
The mixture is ready once peaks form as the whisk is pulled up from the bowl.
To make colored cloud bread, split the mixture into however many colors you want and add food coloring to each bowl, gently mixing not to remove all the air. (For my bread I split the mixture in half and added two drops of food coloring to each bowl.)
Next, spoon the egg mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a spoon or spatula, shape the mixture into a loaf shape, swirling the colors slightly to stick it all together.
Bake in the oven at 300 degrees for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven, and when cool enough to handle, break open the bread to reveal the colors inside.
Cloud bread shrinks as it cools, so it is most photogenic while still warm.
Take a photo, take a bite, and if you're like me, throw the rest away because while it's pretty, this recipe definitely favors looks over taste.
Here are some tips from a pro baker
Cloud bread is essentially a meringue, something that can often be daunting to bakers, Dempsey says. Given home cooks trying Instagram recipes may not be the most experienced chefs, Dempsey has a few tips for success when making meringue.
First, it is essential to have clean, oil-free equipment to whip egg whites, or they won't stiffen into peaks. Dempsey recommends putting a small amount of vinegar on a paper towel and wiping down the whisk and bowl before you start.
Next, when cracking the eggs, be very careful to completely remove any yolk. Also, don't use carton egg whites or risk ending up with "egg white soup" she says from experience.
Something to note, cold egg whites take longer to whip, Dempsey says.
And lastly, save those yolks. There are plenty of uses for them from puddings, custards and ice cream bases. For those feeling fancy, Dempsey recommends Ile Flottante, French for floating islands of meringue suspended in creme anglais, or vanilla custard.
For those looking for a simple recipe and an hour of fun, stick to the newest viral sensation, cloud bread.
Reach the reporter at tirion.morris@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter at @tirionmorris, on Facebook at Tirion Rose and on Instagram at tirionrose.
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