Wednesday, January 16, 2002

Children get stirring when baking bread

A number of people have found the kitchen to be a great place to bake up family fun. To help celebrate families that bake together, the Home Baking Association (HBA) is designating this February as "Bake For Family Fun Month."

"Just about every step of home baking can be fun to a kid, parent or grandparent," says Charlene Patton, program director at HBA.

What's fun?

For small children, the most elementary steps in bread making can be turned into an opportunity to learn and play.

One, Two, Three! Measuring flour and liquids and discussing various units of measure can serve as an early math lesson.

The "Yeastie Beastie" Adding and activating yeast, then discussing what takes place, can serve as an interesting science lesson.

Fold, Push, Turn! Kneading dough can be fun for kids. Also, the tactile experience of kneading can be a productive use of a child's seemingly boundless energy.

Things Are Shaping Up! The most fun for many junior bakers is shaping the dough. The flexibility of bread dough lets children create a myriad of playful creations-dogs, hearts, spaceships-and adding a dash of food coloring can make it even more fun. Also, raisins can serve as eyes and noses can be made from maraschino cherries.

Parents looking to mix up the time they spend with their children may want to try Beginner's White Bread from Fleischmann's Yeast. The recipe has a short list of ingredients (easier for little people to work with) and can be an excellent introductory recipe for new or young bakers.

Beginner's White Bread

5 1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 envelopes Fleischmann's RapidRise Yeast

2 teaspoons salt

11/2 cups water

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

In large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt. Heat water, milk, and butter until very warm (120¡ to 130¡F); gradually add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in 1 cup flour; beat at high speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.

Divide dough in half. Roll each half to 12 x 7-inch rectangle. Beginning at short end of each rectangle, roll up tightly as for jelly roll. Pinch seams and ends to seal. Place, seam sides down, in greased 81/2 x 41/2-inch loaf pans. Cover; let rise in warm, draft- free place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Remove from pans; cool on wire rack.

To make whole wheat bread, substitute 2 cups whole wheat flour for part of all-purpose flour.

For information and recipes, visit www.breadworld.com/justkids.

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