kneading the dough

The other day at preschool, my students were making bread.  Not only were the students learning math and pre-literacy skills, but they were also providing a multisensory experience! Kneading the dough, smelling the dough, and tasting the cooked bread allows students to use multiple senses in a pleasing matter with a delicious outcome.

Ann Parrish, the founder of Alaska-based innovative Cooking Enterprise proclaimed, "Bread making engages people with special needs and motivates them to learn how to follow recipes, how to integrate math into daily living and how to develop other life skills,"

 Every single preschool in my classroom had the ability to create bread.  While making the bread we had the students stir different consistencies of the dough, and smell as each ingredient went into the mixing bowl.  For children who ne oral stimulation the could taste the dough without the fear of toxins. 

Here is a recipe that is very similar to the one we made in class, from the website http://www.cookuk.co.uk/children/bread_easy.htm :

INGREDIENTS

500g / 1lb 2oz Strong white bread flour

1¼ teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoon bread yeast

2 teaspoon sugar

300ml / 10fl oz water

DIRECTIONS: 

1. Wash hands!

2.Put the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a largish bowl and mix all the ingredients together well.

3. Slowly add the water to the mixture and blend it in.
When all the water is added, continue mixing with your hands for 5 minutes more. Place the dough on a floured surface.

4. knead the dough for about ten minutes 

5. Cover the dough with a wet  towel  and place it somewhere at room temperature. Two hours later the dough will have doubled in size and be ready for baking!

6. cook in an oven which is preheated to 450 degrees for about 35 minutes or until golden brown

7. enjoy with butter or other topping! 

Hu, S. (2005, October). A special toy for your special child may be hiding in
     the kitchen appliances section. The Exceptional Parent, 35(10), 32-34.
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