Teaching in the Kitchen

A big part of Montessori that drew me to it was having a child who could do practical things in the home that so many kids aren't taught anymore, So since fall is finally here and my baking is in full swing the Big little man learned how to make bread from scratch yesterday (don't mind the dishes, all our baking was well worth the giant mess) His favorite part was dumping in the ingredients and then folding the dough over and over.

Here is our favorite bread recipe at the moment, we just add a bit of garlic salt to the top (it is added to almost EVERYTHING in our house) 

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 6 cups bread flour

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes