Bread Dough Numbers
(Thanks to Ronnie for sending this in!)
A tasty way to learn your numbers. Also reinforces math skills through
measuring ingredients.
Materials:
- 1 pkg active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cup warm, water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 4 cups flour
- cookie sheet
- bowl for mixing
Notes on Yeast:
- You can substitute cake yeast for active dry
yeast.
- One pkg active dry yeast = 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast = 6 oz cake
of fresh yeast.
- Fresh yeast should go into slightly cooler water (90F)
than dry yeast (110F).
- The yeast should foam.
| Add a bit of science to the lesson. Yeast is a relative of
mold. It is a tiny, single celled, living plant! Warm liquid will activate the yeast,
much like the process that seeds undergo when planted in soil. If the liquid is too cold, the yeast will not
activate or it will do so very slowly. If the liquid is too hot, it will cook the yeast and kill
it. Yeast ferments sugar and starch in flour producing carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol
gases -- these are the yeast's waste products (Tasha was very intrigued
that bread was made with "yeast poop"). The gases that
are released are what give bread it's fluffy texture. |
yeast cells under
magnifying glass
|
Directions:
- Measure 1 1/2 cups warm water into a large bowl. Sprinkle yeast into
water and mix until soft.
- Add 1 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp sugar and 4 cups flour.
- Mix until the dough forms a ball.
- Knead on a floured surface until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Tear off balls of dough and roll them into snakes (just like you would
with playdough)
- Arrange the snakes into number shapes.
- For older children, include the concept of "greater than and less
than" by asking them to make the numbers progressively bigger (the
#1 would be a smaller piece of bread than the #5, for example).
- You could also make
triangles, squares, etc for shapes practice or ABC's for alphabet practice.
- Place the shapes onto a greased cookie sheet
- Cover with a towel and let them rise in a warm place until double in size.
- OPTIONAL: brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with salt (makes sort
of a pretzel)
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 350F until they are firm and golden brown.
- Cool slightly.
- Eat with honey, jam or anything else you enjoy putting on bread.
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