Kick-off your Thanksgiving activities with an edible kitchen science activity for kids. What does Thanksgiving remind you of? Of course, I think of delicious goodies and a hearty Thanksgiving meal. But there’s always room for a side of STEM! Between pumpkins and cranberries, physics and chemistry, this bread in a bag activity for kids is a great way to develop math, science, and even fine motor skills! Plus, it tastes amazing!
MAKE BREAD IN A BAG FOR KIDS
EDIBLE THANKSGIVING ACTIVITIES
This season we have a different kind of menu over here. A STEMs-Giving menu filled with fun and simple Thanksgiving science experiments and activities that kids will love.
Make the most of the Thanksgiving holiday and share baking bread in a bag with your kids at home or in the classroom. Explore how does yeast work in bread and share a delicious treat at the end with our easy bread in a bag recipe.
From toddlers to teenagers, everyone loves a fresh slice of homemade bread, and using a zip-top bag is perfect for tiny hands to help squish and knead.
You can also use the same type of yeast for this exothermic reaction.
BREAD IN A BAG ACTIVITY IN THE CLASSROOM
Ask these questions to get kids thinking…
- What do you know about bread?
- What would you like to learn about bread?
- What ingredients are in bread and how do you make it?
- What do you think makes the bread rise?
- How does yeast work in bread?
THE SCIENCE OF BAKING BREAD
How does yeast work in bread making for kids? Well, yeast is actually a living, single-cell fungus! Hmm don’t sound too tasty, does it?
Although there are several kinds of yeast out there, our bread in a bag recipe below uses an active dry yeast that you can find in little packets in the grocery store. This type of yeast is also dormant until you “wake it up”.
Yeast needs to be combined with warm water and a food source, sugar, to wake up and do its thing. The sugar feeds the yeast and creates the fermentation process.
If you notice bubbles forming, that’s carbon dioxide gas given off by the yeast as it’s eating the sugar. These carbon dioxide bubbles are also what causes the dough to rise as air pockets are trapped in the glutinous strands of the dough.
When you cook the bread the yeast dies off so your kiddos will be relieved that they are eating a side of a fungus with their bread.
BREAD IN A BAG RECIPE
YOU WILL NEED:
3 cups plain flour, divided
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 .25oz Packet rapid rise yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup warm water
3 tablespoons olive oil
HOW TO MAKE BREAD IN A BAG
1. Before you start, open up your zip-lock bag and place it in a large bowl.
2. Scoop 1 cup flour into a large zip-lock bag, with 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 .25oz packet of rapid rise yeast and 1 cup of warm water.
3. Let the air out of the bag, then seal the bag closed and mix from the outside of the bag with your hands. Let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes.
4. Now open the bag and add 1 cup of flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Seal the bag, and mix again.
5. Add 1 more cup of flour, seal and mix again.
6. Remove the dough and knead for 10 minutes on a piece of floured parchment paper to prevent the dough sticking to the surface.
7. Cover with a warm damp hand towel for 30 minutes.
8. Place in a greased bread pan and bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.
Now it’s time to enjoy delicious hot bread!
Next, you will want to whip up homemade butter to go with your bread in a bag!
MORE FUN KITCHEN SCIENCE IDEAS
MAKE HOMEMADE BREAD IN A BAG FOR KIDS
Click on the link or on the image below for more fun edible science experiments for kids.
Looking for easy to print activities, and inexpensive problem-based challenges?
We have you covered…
—>>> FREE STEM Activities For Thanksgiving
CIO ASLM
November 25, 2019 at 7:13 pmNo free package came no download link – is it scam???
littlebins
November 26, 2019 at 3:20 pmFeel free to email me [email protected] and I can help you.