Bread
Bread
Things to Know
Bread is made from grains that have been ground into flour or meal. The flour or meal is mixed with other dry and liquid ingredients then kneaded into a dough and baked. Many breads are leavened usually with yeast. Yeast induces fermentation and causes the dough to rise. Flat breads are made from grains such as corn, barley, wheat, or rye.
People eat bread all over the world. Bread comes in many sizes, shapes, colors, and textures. Even so it is all bread.
Loaf of Bread
Frybread
French Bread
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Art
Bread Collage
Provide magazines for the children to find and cut out pictures of different types of breads. These pictures can be glued to a piece of construction paper or a paper plate, creating a bread collage.
Muffin Tin Paint Trays
Fill muffin tins with various colors of paint in the art area for the children to use. Pastry brushes could be used as paint applicators.
Centers
Bakery
Prepare the housekeeping area to resemble a bakery. Provide the following items: aprons, bowls, mixing spoons, pans, rolling pins, muffin tins, measuring cups, egg cartons, empty bread/roll mix boxes, oven mitts or hot pads, a cash register, and poster/pictures depicting baked goods.
Restaurant
Prepare the housekeeping area as a restaurant. Provide props such as a table cloth, dishes, cooking utensils, and a cash register with play money. Create menus by cutting pictures from magazines and gluing onto construction paper. Include pictures of different baked goods.
Sensory
Different types of grains can be placed in the sensory table. Examples include corn, rice, wheat, barley, and oats. Provide pails, scoops, measuring cups, flour sifters, and spoons to encourage active exploration.
Cooking utensils used for preparing baked goods can be placed in the sensory table with soapy water and dish cloths. The children can "wash" the items.
Recipes
Sweet Pretzel Twists
11-oz. tube refrigerated bread sticks
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
Separate bread sticks and roll each one into an 18-inch rope. Shape each rope into a circle, overlapping ends by 4 inches. Twist ends together and fold over to form a pretzel shape. Place pretzels in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush each with butter and then sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes. Makes 1 dozen.
The Sweet Pretzel recipe is from the Gooseberry Patch cookbook Kids In The Kitchen.
Kids in the Kitchen: Recipes for Fun
The Kids In The Kitchen cookbook pages are illustrated in full-color and they're wipeable.
Cinnamon Sugar
Butter (softened)(about 1 cup butter)
Cinnamon (about 1-2 teaspoons)
Sugar (about 1 teaspoon)
Mix to your taste.
Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl until creamy.
Mix butter, cinnamon, and sugar spread on bread (toast).
or
Mix cinnamon and sugar. Spread butter on bread (toast) and shake the cinnamon/sugar mix onto the bread.
Hearth Bread Recipe from King Arthur Flour (easy)
Easy Bread Recipe For Children to Cook from CookUK
Recipe with step by step pictures. Measurements in grams, lbs, and oz.
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Giant Pretzels
Need: 1 package yeast, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 4 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups warm water, egg yolk, coarse salt.
Dissolve 1 package yeast in 1 1/2 cups warm water and add 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Stir in 4 1/2 cups flour and knead for 6 minutes. Let dough rise, covered, in a greased bowl until double in size. Then divide the dough into 12 pieces and let the children roll them into long sticks. Have children arrange the pretzel sticks into any shape the want.
Blend together 1 egg yolk and 2 tablespoons water and have the children brush small amounts of the mixture on their pretzel sticks.
Let children sprinkle on some coarse salt or sesame seeds. Lay the children's pretzel on a cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes at 450 degrees F. Makes 12 giant pretzels.
Sweet Bread Dough
Need: 1 cup warm milk, 1/2 cup honey, 2 eggs(beaten), 1/4 cup margarine, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 4 cups flour, 1 egg for glaze, baking sheet.
Mix together milk, honey and margarine. Add beaten eggs. Add dry ingredients, a little at a time. Make a stiff dough. Knead for 5 minutes. Shape dough into different shapes (letters or numbers). Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Glaze with the beaten egg. Bake 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Lesson Plans
Breads Around The World (grade 1)
Bakeworks: Educational resource with recipes (pdf).
Science Table
Bread Grains
On the science table set out containers of grains used to make bread for the children to examine. Examples include wheat, corn, oats, and rye. Provide magnifying glasses for children to explore the grains.
Weighing Bread Grains
The property of mass can be explored by providing a balance scale and bread grains at the science table. Scoops and spoons could be available to assist the children.
Story
The Little Red Hen
by Paul Galdone
A classic! Who will help the little hen?
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