Make a loaf of whole wheat bread

Recipe: 1 1/2 C warm water, 1 t salt, 1 t & 1 T sugar, 2 t dough extender, 1 T potato flakes, 2 T gluten, 1 1/2 t SAF instant yeast, 1 t & 1 T oil, 3 C freshly ground whole wheat flour (whole wheat flour looses much of its nutritive value soon after being ground. If it must be ground in advance, store in refrigerator of freezer until used.)Mix all together but flour. Stir 2 1/2 C flour into the rest. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes adding flour to keep the dough from sticking. When done kneading roll into rectangle with floured rolling pin( or flatten with hands). Roll dough up like jelly roll. Bend ends in & tuck under. Put top down in well sprayed bread pan, turn over and “tuck in.” Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until bread is 1/2 to 3/4 inch higher than the top of the pan. Turn oven to 325 degrees. When oven is heated put bread in oven and bake for 35 minutes until lightly browned and crusty. Turn out onto rack and let cool.

The trick to teaching children to knead bread is to tell them to turn the dough out onto flour, only handle the sticky dough when it has a film of flour on it, turn the dough one quarter turn and fold floured edge about 1/4 turn onto itself, and press with heel of hand on floured part, turn, fold, press, turn, fold press, etc.

I used tinfoil grocery store bread pans–about 79 cents for 3–and when the dough was in the pans, had the girls cover the dough with plastic wrap, take it home and let it rise (it rises VERY fast) and bake it. The girls and their families were delighted with the results. The girls and I felt very happy with the activity.