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Melinda Chambers with Grant, Christopher, John, Amelia, Ella, Vanessa, and Ross

by Melinda Chambers Copyright©2012Melinda Chambers All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any other form or for any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage system, without written permission from Headline Books, Inc. To order additional copies of this book or for book publishing information, or to contact the author: Headline Kids P.O. Box 52 Terra Alta, WV 26764 www.HeadlineBooks.com Tel/Fax: 800-570-5951 Email: mybook@headlinebooks.com www.HeadlineKids.com www.HeadlineBooks.com www.MelindaChambers.com Photos in this book are by award winning photographer Jason Hicks—Senior VP of Commercial Lending, graduate of West Virginia University in Business Administration. He resides in Romney, WV, with his family.

ISBN-13: 978-0-938467-37-3 Library of Congress Control Number: 2012931829

P R I N T E D I N T H E U N I T E D S TAT E S O F A M E R I C A

DedicationTo those who care and are willing to share. In memory of my maternal grandmother, Georgia Gay Maxson and my paternal grandmother, Missouri Gay Spiker.

Special thanks to: Ross, age one and a half Ella, age two and a half Vanessa, age three Grant, age four Amelia, age five Christian, age seven John, age nine

From the author: Some of my fondest memories as a child were in my grandmothers’ kitchen, watching and often helping her bake bread. There’s no better aroma than fresh bread baking in the oven, and no better taste than warm bread dolloped with butter and homemade jam. My grandmothers, both raised during the turn of the 20th century, taught me the importance of using what was available and turning it into something fit for kings and queens. Because of my grandmothers’ influence on my young life, plus the support of my parents and my 4-H activities, I chose my career in Family and Consumer Science. Since then, I have made it a point to involve my classroom students with hands-on cooking activities incorporating math, science, reading comprehension, team building, and social science skills in the process. I now have the opportunity to involve my own grandchildren and their friends with these same skills as they make their way into the kitchen. It’s so easy to get caught up in the materialistic world of gadgets and gizmos and to forget about the simple things. While children can’t help but be influenced by the technology that surrounds them, they still have the need to connect with basic skills such as learning where their food comes from and how it’s prepared. But more importantly, they need to develop a bond between the generations, and the kitchen is an excellent place for this to happen. The pictures used in this book are completely unrehearsed. The intensity of the children’s expressions and the pleased look in their eyes are genuine. It is my hope that this book will encourage others to use the kitchen as a training ground for much more than food. 5

ain r n . Rai away go

“It’s cold and rainy outside, and we’re bored! There’s nothing to do!” “I have a great idea! Let’s make some bread.” “You mean it? Yea!”

“We haven’t always been able to go to the store to buy our bread. For many years, people had to make their own bread. History tells us that ancient Egypt is thought to be the home of modern bread. While digging through ruins in Egypt, scientists discovered grinding stones and baking chambers 4,000 years old. Not so long ago, I can remember when both of my grandmothers used to make homemade bread. It was the best smell—I could hardly wait to sink my teeth into the warm bread, especially when it was covered with homemade jelly. Every time I smell bread in the oven, I think of them. I think it’s about time you had some of those memories yourselves, but I’m going to need all the help I can get. Are you ready?” With wide eyes and eager expressions, they all had nods of excitement.

“Okay. First thing we need to do before working in the kitchen is to wash our hands. Be sure to use soap and scrub them for at least 20 seconds—about the time it takes you to sing the ABC song. That way you don’t spread any unwanted germs on the food.”

Wash h was ash! w

“Today we’re going to make yeast bread. That means we use yeast to make the bread rise. We call it leavening. Without the leavening, the bread would be flat. Other leavenings are baking soda, baking powder, eggs, and even air. Yeast is a fungus that can be found in the air—but ours came from the store.” 8

“Yuck! You mean there’s fungus in our bread?” “Yes, but some fungi are useful. Yeast is one of them. We’ll use dry yeast, which looks like grains of sand. Be sure to check the date on the package to make sure it’s not too old. When it’s in the package, it’s dormant, or asleep. We need to wake it up, or activate it. Pour warm tap water in a liquid measuring cup until it measures the right amount, then add it to the yeast. If your water is too hot, it will kill the yeast, but if it’s too cold, it slows down the activation. Now we need to let it set for a few minutes so it can have time to become active.”

ew! yea st is fu ngus

“While we’re waiting on the yeast, we’ll scald our milk.” “Why?”

“When milk is exposed to the air, it can pick up bacteria which could kill the yeast. To prevent this, the milk is heated to a temperature just below boiling, and then cooled. If it’s too hot, the temperature could also kill the yeast. That’s why we need to cool it down. The milk gives the bread a soft crust and creamy-white texture.”

“Now that the yeast has been activated, we need to feed it. That’s where the sugar comes in. Sugar is the food on which the yeast grows to produce the gas that makes the bread rise. As the yeast grows, it uses the sugar by forming carbon dioxide, which is a gas, causing the bread to get larger in size. Sugar also adds sweetness and helps in the browning. To measure, use a dry measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge.”

s ed t? e n t o Ea s t yea

“Next, the recipe calls for butter and salt. The fat adds flavor, makes the bread tender, and helps to keep it soft. Butter, margarine, shortening, salad oil, and lard are all forms of fat that can be used in baking. Fat also helps the bread to brown while baking. The salt adds flavor and helps to control the yeast growth. Always measure the salt away from the mixture, as you don’t want to pour in too much by mistake.”

o re soo a s g Eg

slimy!

“Eggs are often used in baking, because they add color, flavor, and richness. Since we don’t know what the egg looks like until we break the shell, we want to break it in a separate bowl before adding it to our mixture. That way if a shell falls in by mistake, or something is wrong with the egg, it won’t ruin the rest of our ingredients.”

sy! Flour is mes

“Now, all we need to add is the flour—but you don’t want to add it all at once, as it would be too hard to mix and the yeast wouldn’t work as well. Using a dry measuring cup, spoon half of the needed flour into the cup, leveling it off with a straight edge. You don’t want to pack the flour, as you would then have too much. The flour provides the structure of the bread. The gluten in the flour combines to form a web that traps carbon dioxide from the yeast and steam from baking, to give bread its texture. After adding the flour, mix for 5 minutes so the flour, yeast, and other ingredients can be mixed well together.” 16

Mixing

is fun !

“To add the remaining flour, use a large spoon, as the dough will get too stiff for the mixer. Stir until all of the flour is absorbed.” 18

“Your dough is now ready to knead, which is done with your hands to continue the yeast and gluten process. The more the dough is handled, the lighter it becomes. First use a clean counter top, board, or table that has been lightly sprinkled with flour.”

“Rub your hands with flour, as well, so they don’t become sticky.”

Smush

it!

“Then turn the dough onto the surface and pat it into a ball.”

“To knead, flatten the dough with your hands and fold it toward you. Using the palms of your hands, push the dough away with a rolling motion. Turn dough a quarter turn and repeat the “fold, push and turn” steps. Add a little more flour if the dough continues to be sticky, always working the extra flour into the ball of the dough. Keep kneading until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, approximately 5 to 8 minutes.” 22

out t i l Rol

“The dough now needs to rise or double in size. This particular recipe is for refrigerator dough, which means it can rise in the refrigerator and can be used the next day or up to a week.” 23

“Oh, no. You mean we have to wait before we can eat the bread?” “Normally, yes. But I have some dough I made earlier in the week that’s all ready to bake! Are you ready?” “Yes!” “Using a rolling pin, roll your dough into a long strip, approximately 28 x 6 inches long. You will need to plan ahead to be sure you have enough counter space. If a section is too wide, just fold it to the middle and roll the extra dough to a section that’s not as wide. Continue rolling until the strip is even.” 24

“Mix the cinnamon and sugar together and add to the top of the dough, spreading it evenly.”

“Fold the dough in half long-ways, like a hot dog bun. Using a metal scraper or table knife, cut the dough into one-inch strips. Twist each piece several times, pressing on the outer edges to seal, and place them on a greased baking sheet.” 26

“Bake in a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees for 12 minutes, until golden brown.”

o we d g n t lo for i How t i a to w have ke??? to ba

“Do you smell the bread baking? It’s a smell that makes you hungry, even if you weren’t before. I love the smell of the bread baking because it brings back so many happy memories. With all of your help today, you’ve added to my memories. I hope you can say the same.” “Yum! We’ll remember. Is it ready yet?”

so goo d!

“Almost, but while we wait, let’s work together and clean up the kitchen. That way you will enjoy the bread even more.” DING! “There goes the oven buzzer. Get your pot holders and carefully put the bread on the cooling rack. Help me divide it evenly. Is it good?”

yummy!!

“Yes, and we helped! What can we make next. . . ?” 30

1 package active dry yeast 1/4 cup very warm tap water 1/4 cup milk, scalded and cooled 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)

1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg 2 to 2 1/2 cups bread or all-purpose flour, divided

With a spoon, mix yeast with water in mixer bowl and let it set for 5 minutes. Meanwhile scald milk in microwave (approximately 30 seconds on high, not boiling) and then place in refrigerator to cool. Set out remaining ingredients. After 5 minutes, add cooled milk, sugar, butter, salt and egg to yeast mixture and mix with mixer. Slowly add half the flour (1-1/4 cups) to mixture and continue to mix for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining flour slowly with spoon (approximately 1 to 1-1/4 cups) until mixed (dough will be stiff). Slightly sprinkle clean counter or tabletop and hands with additional flour. Place dough on table and knead for 5 to 8 minutes, adding additional flour to surface if needed. When done, the dough should no longer be sticky, and should be elastic to the touch. Spray a 1/2 gallon sealable plastic storage bag with vegetable spray and place dough inside. Seal bag and place in refrigerator for up to a week. When ready to bake, remove the dough at least an hour before hand so it can get to room temperature. Roll dough out in long strip, approximately 28 inches by 6 inches. Mix the topping ingredients of sugar and cinnamon in bowl and then sprinkle evenly on top. Double dough over to other side, long-ways (like hot dog bun), with the cinnamon mixture in the middle. Cut strips

Topping: 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon

approximately one inch, being careful not to cut the counter. Take each strip and twist it several times, sealing each end with your fingers. Place on greased cookie sheet. When completed, let dough rest a few minutes while the oven pre-heats to 375 degrees. Bake for 12 minutes, until dough begins to turn golden brown. Cool slightly and enjoy. Note: If you want to make the dough and bake it at the same time, you may want to prepare a round of dough the day before so it will be ready to bake. Or, don’t put the dough in the refrigerator, but let it set out. It will be ready to bake once it has doubled in size—several hours, depending on the room temperature. This recipe is a basic bread dough recipe that can be used for pizza crust, rolls, or even a small loaf of bread. You can also make shapes with the bread, such as initials or braids. Additional ingredients can be added for a variety of flavors, such as onions, cheese, spices, herbs, fruits, nuts, or even grated pepperoni. Whole wheat flour can also be mixed with the all-purpose flour for additional nutritive value. Experiment and have fun.

Bake It, Take It, Learn It Baking with children is a wonderful way to not only make lasting memories, it's an excellent opportunity to reinforce skills they are learning in school. This book covers the following lessons you can incorporate into your home teaching or classroom. Make it fun, make it delicious, and the lessons will last a lifetime!

Math 1/4c

1/4c

Butter 1/2

cup

1 stick = 1/2 cup 1/2 stick = 1/4 cup

1/4 + 1/4 = 2/4 =1/2

= 1/3 cup +

= 2/3 cup

3 teaspoons =

= 3/3 cup or 1 cup

1 tablespoon

Science

Each ingredient has a purpose Yeast—fungus that leavens (helps it rise) Sugar—food for yeast, adds sweetness, aids browning Fat—adds flavor; makes bread soft and tender Salt—adds flavor; controls yeast growth Egg—adds color, flavor, and richness Flour—provides structure, forms gluten

History/Social Studies

Bread has been a food staple for thousands of years. Varieties come from the various regions of the world. Grains are agricultural products that provided ingredients for bread long before grocery stores were available.

Reading Comprehension Interpretation of recipe.

Self Satisfaction

Being able to say "I helped!" or "I did it myself!"