Baking Day

I've been wanting to add baking to our weekly rhythm for a while now. It has just been a bit of a challenge with Noah hanging on my legs every minute that I am in the kitchen. Now that he has finally reached an age where he will play nearby (or underfoot) for short periods of time, I have decided to make every other Friday our Baking Day. Today I made some no-rise bread rolls using a recipe from Heaven on Earth that I modified slightly. The dough was the perfect consistency for forming into interesting shapes and would be a fun project with older children.

I was tempted to give Noah a bit of dough to play with, but I fear that it would have gone straight into his mouth. Instead, he was happy to empty the kitchen drawers, which he is now tall enough to reach inside, of all their contents while I was busy with mixing, measuring, and kneading. He did have the very important job of taste testing the finished product though. He must have approved because he kept begging for more.

The best part was that the recipe uses whole wheat pastry flour and honey instead of white flour and sugar, so I did not feel one bit guilty indulging him with a few extra bites.

Play-Dough Bread Recipe

In a large bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon yeast in 3/4 cup lukewarm water.

In a separate bowl, mix 1/4 cup honey and 2 tablespoons butter in 1/2 cup boiling water. Stir until cool, then add to the larger bowl with the yeast.

Add a pinch of salt and mix well. Slowly stir in 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour. Knead on floured surface, adding flour as needed until the dough is easy to work with. Shape into rolls, braids, pretzels, etc. Place shaped dough on lightly greased cookie sheets and brush with beaten egg. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

-Jen