Healthy eating (3), making our own bread

At both Tawa Montessori Preschool and Little Earth we bake our own daily bread. We used to have our freezer stocked with supermarket bread to make our morning and afternoon snack. We noticed there was quite a lot of wasted bread in the compost bowl. Now we have less waste and healthier bread. Our children love to bake and are used to different baking technique. They are independent with the skills associated with baking. Making our own bread is another ritual in our day that contributes towards our  sustainable and respectful community.

Here is how we make our daily bread:

Ingredients:

4 cups high grade flour
1 tablespoon yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 ups lukewarm water
1/4 cup oil (we use rice bran oil).

Directions:

- Mix yeast and water and let it stand for a while.
- Combine flour and salt in a bowl.
- Pour the yeast mixture and the oil into the dry ingredients.
- Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and then knead until the dough isn't sticky anymore.
- Cover and let the dough rise (about 45 minutes).
- Knead and then cut the dough into 12 parts.
- Shape the dough into buns.
- Bake at  220 C for 10-15 minutes or until brown.

In the morning, the yeast, oil and water are added to the flour and salt.

Then the mixing begins! Lots and lots of kneading until the mixture is not sticky anymore.

The dough rises in the warm classroom, then the buns are rolled and shaped ready to be cooked. Once the buns have cooled down, we cut them. They are now ready for morning and afternoon tea.

 

We have noticed how the children enjoy contributing to the morning and afternoon tea.  They work with care and attention, wanting to do a great job!  We hear comments like “The crust tastes GOOD!” and  “I like the bread.” It is a good reminder that we, the adults don’t have to make the bread for the children (serve), but we can help them to do it themselves.

We also learned that having whole wheat grains in our bread is much healthier than white bread so now we bake whole wheat bread every morning. It is yummier and much better for our bodies.

The gift real work brings to a child is independence.  Maria Montessori noted that one who is continually ‘served’ instead of being ‘helped’ is deprived of becoming independent, of being truly free.

(The Discovery of the Child, pgs 55, 56, 57)

- Anja