Let's Make Some Bread

Bread or bread-like baked goods can appear quite complex, but they are really quite simple from an ingredients point of view.

In the following activity (~30 mins) we will prepare some basic dough. This will be a psuedo no-knead recipe, meaning that you of course have to mix all the ingredients, but you don't necessarily need to knead this dough, but you can. This dough can be used to make a variety of "breads/rolls/etc." This is a process was introduced to the chemistry department by chemistry alumni Chris Knutson who frequently used this recipe to make pizza dough.

Let's get started:

1) each person or pair will get a plastic "bin" and lid. If it is new or dirty, wash it.

2) Listed below are the basic ingredients; for now, let's all use "all-purpose" flour, RO water, and some new dry yeast (jar)...all of these can be found on the front table.

3) This is a dough made with yeast, so it will take an overnight for the yeast to leaven the bread...so this is a 2-day activity.

4) go to the procedure and get started...

Basic Ingredients

1) flour

2) water

3) yeast

4) salt

Basic Recipe

- 3 cups "all purpose" flour

- 1 1/3 cups water

- 1 tsp yeast

- 1 tsp salt

Procedure

Day 1: Add all ingredients to the "bread bin" mix to combine, cover and leave overnight.

trick: include in the "bread bin" a cup/beaker of water; this will prevent the dough from drying out and forming a crust.

Day 2: Bake into rolls, bread, pretzels, pizza crust, flatbread, or ?

Required Materials

(To be purchased in advance or a quick trip to the grocery store)

Bread bin (provided in lab)

above ingredients

mixing utensil

Discussion points/Future experiments?

1) flour/water ratio

2) Just any water? (RO, tap, etc)

3) The role of yeast?

4) Do we really need to add salt?

5) Is all flour the same?

(no need to answer any of these now, but keep these questions in mind.)