Tasty Tuesday: Bread-in-a-Bag

Kansas is sometimes known as the "Wheat State" or the "Breadbasket" because of all the wheat grown here!  In this activity, we'll make our own wheat bread in a plastic bag!  I found this recipe through the Kansas State Research and Extension program. 

Mix these ingredients in a heavy-duty large plastic bag:

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 pkg. yeast
• ½ cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon sugar

1)  Put ingredients in bag, seal, and smoosh until it is mixed!  Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes.

2)  Add to the bag:

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 cups whole wheat flour (or use 1 cup whole wheat and 1 cup bread flour)
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons salt

3)  Seal and mix well in the bag.  Add flour if the mixture is too sticky (but not too much or you'll have a tough, flat bread).  Then, turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5-6 minutes.  Add more flour if it is too sticky. Divide dough into half.  Cover with plastic bag. Let rest 10 minutes.

4)  Press dough out onto floured board.  Roll like a sleeping bag and pinch the top together!  Put in 2 greased, small bread pans.

5)  Cover again with the bag and let rise 45-60 minutes.  Bake for 30-35 minutes in 400 degree oven.  Allow to cool.  Eat!!

You can find a printable copy of this recipe here.  It's the first search result!

Kansas Day Lapbook for Kids

I know many of my readers are not from Kansas, but Kansas is a very special state to me (and it's almost Kansas Day)!!  So, in honor of Kansas' 150th birthday on January 29th, I've put together a special lapbook all about Kansas! 

I found several of the printables at the Kansas Historical Society.  I also put together a Kansas symbols book, acrostic, and song sheet on my own (I'm pretty excited about it, because I finally figured out how to upload PDF files so you can print them)! 

If you're from another state, you can easily adapt this idea and find some printables for your own lapbook!

Supplies

File folder

Glue

Scissors

Crayons/colored pencils

Sunflower seeds

Construction paper

Kansas State Flag to color

Sunflower
Kansas capitol printable (page 1)
Kansas symbols, acrostic, song page

1)  To make a lapbook, fold a file folder as pictured above (there are many ways to make a lapbook--you can find more information at Homeschool Share).

2)  Color the Kansas Flag and glue it to the front of the folder.  Allow to dry, and then cut down the middle to separate the sides.

 

3)  Color and cut out the sunflower.  Add a blue background, stem, and sunflower seeds (if desired).

3)  Fill out the Kansas symbols book (you can find the complete list here -- some preschoolers may feel more comfortable coloring the book found here -- rather than drawing their own symbols).  Write an acrostic for Kansas and cut out the state song!  Glue on the inner flaps of the lapbook. 

This is our almost-complete lapbook!  We still have some room up in the left-hand corner, so after we make bread, I'll put a photo from that experience!  On the back, we glued the capitol!