Making Bread in a Bag is going to become your new favorite family activity! Little kids and big kids alike will love making their own loaf of bread. Be sure to check out Ice Cream in a Bag as well as the video below for making the bread in a bag!
This summer I am going to have a fun little series for you – Kids Can Cook. Summer is a great time to spend some time in the kitchen with your kids. Hopefully your schedules are a little slower and you can take advantage of that by spending some fun time in the kitchen.
A few summers ago I held a Kids Cooking Camp at my home and it was so much fun. Kids love to cook if we just give them a chance!
So throughout the summer I will share with you some fun recipes and tips for cooking with your kids because Kids Can Cook!
Our first recipe is for Bread in a Bag. This is a fun activity/recipe we did at my cooking camp a few years ago. The kids LOVED it!
I enlisted three of the cutest little girls who just happen to be sisters from church to come and play with me in the kitchen.
Tip One: Make sure the recipe is readable and accessible. I covered my table with parchment paper
and then wrote the ingredients on the paper so the girls could easily see it. Also, have all the ingredients out and easy to reach.
Making bread was a great way to teach the girls the right way to measure flour – I prefer the scoop and level method.
The first step was to put a cup of flour into their bag
.
They then added the sugar, yeast and water. We learned a little about yeast and what it does and how it is important for your water to be the right temperature.
Then they zipped up their bags and smooshed it all together until the flour was all mixed it.
We then let it rest for 10 minutes so their yeast could activate and they went out in the backyard and played for a bit.
We then added some olive oil, salt and more flour into the bag.
And then smooshed some more!
They then turned their dough out onto the table and kneaded it until smooth with a little bit extra flour.
Tip Two: Don’t expect perfection. The important thing is that they have fun. Their loaves weren’t perfectly shaped but it didn’t matter. They still tasted the same!
We greased mini loaf pans and each girl got two mini loaves out of one recipe.
We then let them rise. Because we used rapid rise yeast it didn’t take long – about 20-30 minutes.
Tip Three: Embrace the mess. Kids will be messy and you will end up with flour all over the table and floor but they are going to have fun and so will you! Enjoy it. The mess will clean up quickly but the memories will last a long time!!
The bread then bakes for about 25 minutes or so when making a mini loaf.
Then the next part is the best – ENJOY your bread! The girls were so excited and proud of themselves – can’t you just see it in their cute little faces!
All that was left to do was EAT!
Make sure to check out all of my other fun kid friendly recipes under my Kids Can Cook section!
Bread in a Bag Recipe
Bread in a Bag
Ingredients
- 3 C all purpose flour divided
- 3 Tbsp white sugar
- 1 .25 package rapid rise yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
- 1 C warm water
- 3 Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a resealable plastic bag place 1 C flour, sugar and yeast and add in warm water.
- Squeeze air out of the bag and seal.
- Squish with your hands until well mixed together.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes at room temperature. Bubbles will form.
- Open bag and put in 1 C of flour, oil and salt.
- Seal bag again and squish until well blended.
- Add last cup of flour and continue mixing in the same manner until well blended.
- Remove dough from bag and put onto a lightly floured surface.
- Knead for 5-10 minutes or until smooth.
- Divide dough in half and place each half into a greasedmini loaf pan. Or make one large loaf
- Cover with a towel and allow to rise for about 30 minutes.
- Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until bread is golden brown.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Not only did I make the 2 mini loafs but I also made pizza from this recipe. It turned out better then pre made dough. My 9 year daughter and 3 year old son helped me. Thank you so much for sharing this easy recipe I can enjoy making with my kids. Oh ya by the way I like putting Italian seasoning in the mix. Smells and taste great.
Ps. After letting it sit I rolled out the dough then punched little holes from my corn holders so no bubbling would happen. Then i put in the oven for 5 minutes, took it out flipped it over and topped it. put it back in the oven and cooked for another 15 minutes. Yes its a thick crust but it was good and the kids loved it ????????
Can this be made without the mini loaf pan? Shape and then bake on a cookie sheet? Thank you.
It’s not a dense bread so I’m not sure how it would hold it’s shape if it wasn’t in a pan but you could definitely try!
Thank you for this recipe – I’m excited to try this with my kids! I bought the mini loaf pans this morning. Do you place them directly on the oven rack, or do you bake them on top of a cookie sheet?
I just place them directly on the oven rack
I have my grandkids for the next two weeks and they love to cook or bake with me. This recipe was fabulous for interactive baking with them. I made 1 batch yesterday, with my grandaughter (7yrs. old)made her own batch. It was so much fun my grandson (9yrs. old)and granddaughter again wanted to make the bread today. So, you would think we would have a lot of bread but, it soon gets eaten (warm). It is so delicious!
Thank you for the fun recipe
I am so glad you are having fun with the recipe!
I have done this recipe before with my daycare class, and we are doing it today at the new daycare I am working at! I love it, and the kids love each getting their own loaf to take home!
Do you think this bread could be baked in a toaster oven?
Meredith, I have never tried it but if your toaster oven reaches the needed temperature, I’m not sure why not. Let me know!
I am going to try that bread. Looks real good. Thank you
I did the bread in a bag, followed step by step, mine didn’t turn out, could it be I used all purpose bread flour instead of regular all purpose flour
Most likely it was your yeast that was the problem. I use all purpose flour.
Made a “trial run” before doing this with my grand kids. They will have fun making these loaves! I set the oven timer for 24 min. I peeked in when there was 5 min left. The top was deep golden so I took them out. The middle is just barely doughy. How can I avoid over browning the top and keep in the oven a few minutes longer? I had my oven rack in the middle. Maybe raise it up 1 level? If I brush it with melted butter before putting it in the oven, will that make it brown even more?
Can you do this as a loose form on a baking sheet…like a rustic loaf?
Michelle, I’ve never done it that way so not sure how the loaf would form. Worth a try though
I had always been too intimidated to make my own bread by hand (only in a bread maker). I found your recipe last week and decided to try it. I made mine in a large bowl instead of a bag, but followed all your other directions. I am so happy to report that, although my bread took so much longer to rise, it tasted fabulous! I cannot wait to try this again!
Thank you so much for this awesome idea. I’m in charge of an activity for a group of church girls and this is exactly what I was looking for! We are going to shake cream into butter and the bread is the perfect addition.
Where does it say print for BREAD IN A BAG??
Betty, It is underneath the image in the recipe card. Scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Hi! Will the Bread in a Bag work with wheat flour?
Thanks!
Tanya, I would recommend using half wheat and half white.
I have made this a number of times and what great fun! But now I would like to try it gluten free! any pointers? Or just go for it?
So glad you have enjoyed the recipe. For gluten free, I would jus use your favorite gluten free flour and go for it!
Where is the ice cream in a bag recipe?
Wondering how this will work with whole wheat flour & at 1mi above sea level…. Looks fun!
Julie, I haven’t tried it with whole wheat but I know others have and have commented on it in the comments.
How can you adapt the bread recipe to make it gluten free?
If you use something like Bob Red Mills cup for cup gluten free flour it should work just fine.
Can this be made using gluten free flour?
I haven’t tried it personally but it should work fine. Give it a try and let me know!
Wonderful! All kindergarten teachers will love this. This bread-making activity can go with so many stories and books, like Little Red Hen, Tony’s Bread, Bread and Jam for Frances, and more. There’s so much learning (math, sequencing, science, language, following instructions) along with the hands-on. Thank you!
Thank you for the bread-in-a-bag recipe. Two small grandchildren live with us and I”m excited for easy things for them to make.
I love this idea and would like to do it with a cooking camp. We only have toaster ovens. Do you think it would work?
Jessica, I really don’t know – I would definitely test it out to see if it would work
Can the bread in a bag be made in a bread machine
This recipe is designed to be done in the bag. I’m not sure how it would work in a bread machine?
Thank you
Do you know if you could use wheat flour?
I’ve used half white and half wheat and it worked great
Great job girls! Did you brush the tops with an egg wash? Your loaves look beautiful! I’m sure they tasted great too.
We did not put an egg wash on them. Thanks
I just made the 2 whole loaves of the bread in the bag and my husband was crazy about it. They only thing I did different was one I made by adding a packet of dry onion soup mix and shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese and the other one I added a packet of dry onion soup mix, crumble cooked bacon and shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese. This is a keep in my home. Thanks for the recipe.
Can we use regular yeast? If so any change in process? Thanks.
Yes
My bread did not rise. Any idea why that might be?
Naomi It could be several things. Your bread will not rise if your yeast is expired or your water was too hot and you killed the yeast or the water was not warm enough and it didn’t activate.
Yummy bread i even made some with honey and makes great rolls also. Ty
Would I be able to use the dough to make rolls or buns?
Yep, it works great
My 10 year old daughter dis this today: super delish, yummy, and soft! This will be her birthday craft to do with her friends and double as their take home goodie. Yum, thanks for this awesome kid approved recipe!!
I just used this recipe for pizza crust! .. I used a combo of millet flour, whole wheat flour and spelt flour… and added herbs and garlic. It turned out great!! Quick, easy. I will not be buying premade pizza crust again!! They are SO expensive, this cost next to nothing!!
I made this with my 9-year-old granddaughter yesterday. She wanted to experience kneading bread.
I enlarged the recipe so that she could read it more easily. She added fresh herbs and a little oil to the top before baking. Thank you for a good recipe and a great loaf of bread!
Love this, so easy. I will try this myself. Will make great Christmas gifts. You could add cocoa, or fruit, nuts, ets. Thanks so much!
I am a 68-year-old gentleman, and I think I can handle this. What a surprise for my wife when she smells freshly baked bread, and I offer it up with some butter and jam with a cup of tea. (… and I will remember to clean up the kitchen too – lol)
Donald, You’re a good man!
Making homemade bread is so easy and inexpensive………Anyone can do it…..Add some whole wheat flour to up the nutrition value….
Love it
I love cooking this for a big kid’s gathering or on happy days. My neighbourhood kids also love it alot.
Awesome can’t wait to do with grandkids
Thanks so much for this! Can’t wait to use in school!
I just happened upon your bread in a bag. Then your name caught my eye.
Not to many people spell their name like ours.
I am going to try this recipe with my class.
Leigh Anne Harris, GA
YOu’re right, I rarely see another Leigh Anne. My mom’s name is Mary Anne and she was a Vivian Leigh fan!
Hi! The ingredients say “1 (.25) package rapid rise yeast”. What’s the (.25) mean? ????
Thanks!
Kiera
That is the weight of the package .25 oz.
I can’t get my bread to rise 🙁 Maybe I got a bad batch of yeast. 🙁
Either that or your water was too hot or not warm enough.
Can you make just one larger loaf?
Absolutely
Such a cute project. I see the baking time of 25-30 mins for mini loaves, but what is the baking time for one large loaf? I looked and looked but could not find it.
Thank you!
Bake time will be around 30-40 minutes for one larger loaf.
so good to get children cooking/baking – am doing so with 2 grandsons – too many parents today don’t know how
Leigh Anne, You are so fun!! Thanks for sharing this recipe and i am looking forward to your fun summer adventures!!
Melissa, have fun with it!
Now I want to make bread with my grand children. Thank you so much!
Are you supposed t use self rising flour????????
Lisa Batchelor.
No, just regular all purpose flour.
My girls and I love this recipe! We’re even using it to make into rolls for Easter. We did a test and they turned out perfectly. Thanks for such a great recipe.
Such a great idea, to do with my adult kids this weekend
I came across your website though Google. I am going to throw a baking birthday party for my daughter and loved your post. Bread in a bag would be one of the party activities. I barely bake myself so I don’t know much about baking. Which fast rising yeast do you recommend?
Thank you!
I’m thinking this would be a great thing to do with the Girl Scout troop. However, with so many girls we won’t be able to bake them. Can they be refrigerated and then baked at home?
that should work fine. If you refrigerate, just allow to rise more before baking
I am a cooking instructor at a workshop for adults with developmental disabilities. This was a fantastic recipe to do with them!!!! They really enjoyed it and it was delicious!!!! Thanks so much!!! I will be checking out more of your recipes for my classes!!!
I am so glad it worked well for them!
Thanks
I have made this bread twice I followed the recipe and used rapid rising yeast but when I let it rise for 30 minutes it doesn’t rise that much. Also when I bake for 25 minutes the inside comes out doughy. What am I doing wrong?
It might be the temperature water, if it’s too hot or not hot enough it will effect the yeast.
What size bag?
Calire, it is a gallon size bag
Made this today with a 4 and 5 year old bakers. It was a great experience and the bread was delicious. They loved the gooey feel at the start and how it changed into smooth dough at the end.
Roberta, Glad you had fun with it!
I am a retired teacher and always did cooking experiences with my students. I will love adding this technique and recipe to my summer agenda with my four grqndsons.
And will add making butter to round things out. Thanks for the great idea’s.
Leigh Anne,
I just tried this in my kitchen and the bread didn’t rise–any hints on where I might’ve gone wrong?
Thanks for such a neat idea,
Sarah
It could be a couple of things, your water was either too hot and killed the yeast or too cold and didn’t activate it or your yeast was expired.
Thank you! The bread was still tasty and I am going to try another test batch today. I am actually going to do lead a group of 20 women through this activity next week and am so excited to see their results!
Second batch turned out great–we monitored water temp and set them on the warm toaster oven to rise. I also made a batch with whole wheat/honey which worked equally well (added 1/4 c extra liquid). Kids loved making it and have been eating it all day.
Looks yummy
I made this with my two daughters tonight, and the loaves turned out beautifully. They didn’t really rise well at first, I added more yeast, but they rose very nicely in the oven. I am going to make this with my Girl Scout troop, they will love it!
I tried this a couple of days ago and oh my goodness! It’s the best bread I’ve ever made. I was skeptical but it was so moist and delicious. And of course easier to make! Thanks for sharing!
Could you use Whole wheat flour?
I have only made it with white flour but I believe others have used wheat flour, you can read through the comments and others have shared their experience.
I am going to make this with my 3 granddaughters the next time they come for a sleepover. They are 4, 7 and 9. They will just love it! Thank you so much for the recipe and letting me subscribe to your site!
I have this rising right now. Thank you for sharing. I’m testing it out before making with my boys. I just want to say I admire you for taking the time to reply to each of your comments. I think that’s very courteous and adds such a personal touch for your readers. This is something that has become lost in some of the big blogs.
Steffi, I hope you enjoy doing this with your boys! Thanks for your kind comment
Is Rapid rise yeast the same as Active Dry Yeast the same thing??
Chritina, No they are different. Rapid rise does not need to be proofed in water, active dry yeast does.
I made this in my class as a small group project! Had pairs of kiddos work together to make their bread. They each got to form their own mini loaf! It was a wonderful cooperative, science, cooking activity. This way each child made their own loaf of bread. We served them with our Stone Soup we made for our parents right before Thanksgiving!!! Easy,great ,yummy recipe. Thanks
Tonie, Sounds like a great class project!! So glad you and your students enjoyed it
Love this idea, both as a Before/After School Coordinator and a grandmother. Can’t wait to test this with my grandsons at the end of the month, while I wait to get approval to do it with my program. Used to bake bread with my mom all the time, but haven’t done it in years, so this will be fun all around.
Would I use the same amount of gluten free flour as regular flour in the recipe?
Erica, I have never made it with gluten free flour but my guess is it would be the same amount
If I use regular yeast instead of Rapid Rise yeast will it take very much longer?
You need to activate regular yeast in water and this recipe doesn’t allow for that so rapid rise works the best
I have mine rising for last step before oven, however I’m finding dough is dry. Should I have added more oil????
Just add a little more water to it. Your altitude and weather conditions can effect it.
Will this recipe work @ a higher altitude? Say, 5,000 ft. above sea level.
It should work fine, you may need to add an additional tablespoon or two of flour if the dough is too sticky.
Hi. Confused about the yeast. You say a 0.25 oz packet which is 7g. you then say 2 1/4 tsp which is 11g? Please help
Debbie, The .25 oz. packet of yeast contains 2 1/4 tsp of yeast.
Sorry, worked it out now. Looking forward to trying this with 24 cub scouts!
Thanks for the quick response to clarify xx
Q I like sweeter yeast bread, how much more sugar would you suggest?
Janice, I’m really not sure. I would just experiment maybe start with a couple of tablespoons?
thank you for this recipe, I’m really looking forward to trying this with my daughter! I was wondering if this recipe would work to make cinnamon bread or do you have a recipe similar to this to make cinnamon bread? thank you!
Jen, I have’t ever used this recipe to make cinnamon bread but you could definitely give it a try. Let me know how it works!
I can’t find what temp the oven needs to be at for baking? Could you tell me please?
Melanie, The complete recipe is down at the bottom of the page when you scroll down. The temperature is 375 degrees F
What about the 3rd cup of flour? You didn’t say you added it in your instructions.
Jenn, The complete recipe can be found at the bottom of the post and it has full instructions on when to add all the flour.
Can you use whole wheat in place if the white flour (I like to try to stick with 100% whole wheat flour)? Or will it not come out right?
Rachel, I haven’t used whole wheat but I know others have, if you read through some of the old comments people have shared what they have done. Have fun with it!
For one loaf of bread is the baking time the same?
If you make one large loaf you will need to adjust the time and bake it longer.
Makes me wish my kidds were still small!
I love this and will try it……..I hope it will work in a loaf pan? And I am sure I will do the mini ones to ! Have wanted to try bread for a long time…am excited. THANKS !!!!
It will work fine in a regular loaf pan. Enjoy!
I am teaching special needs high schoolers. Would tgis be okay to put into muffin pans. We are hosting a lunch for our administrators.
It should work fine.
Thank you!
CAN YOU MAKE RYE OR SOUR DOUH BREAD IN A BAG?
I have never tried it
Could you please tell me the weight of 3 cups of flour?
And the fluid ounces of water
Here in the UK we don’t use cup measurements so I have no idea how big a cup is
Thank you
Davina, There are a lot of great websites you can google to find out how to convert the measurements. Here is one for the flour: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/ingredient-weight-chart.html
I’m going to make this for me.
I don’t understand why this would be aimed only at girls. My Mother didn’t really teach me to cook, I watched her and developed my own style.
Her philosophy was that we boy were going to know how to cook wash and iron, at least we could take care of ourselves
Stephen, It is not aimed at just girls, if you notice, it is called Kids Can Cook. I just happen to have girls helping me.
Boys would love this activity too. I have two grown boys and they both do a lot of the cooking in their families. Enjoy!
Thanks for sharing…
Do you have to use cane sugar? How about Stevia?
Connie, I have only used cane sugar and I haven’t worked with Stevia so I’m not sure how it would work.
You said the water has to be the right temp, what is that?
Water temperature should be 105-110 degrees F
i am a home ec teacher and am doing ten classes on food science. I think along with bread in a bag we will also make our own butter. should be a fun afternoon with my grade 8 students.
Has anyone tried this using whole wheat flour? Whole wheat tends to be denser than regular white flour so I’d like to know if anyone has tried this and how it turned out.
Patricia, If you read through the comments there are some from people who have tried it with whole wheat flour I think. I haven’t tried it.
In teaching my grandbabies how yeast works, I told them this, and along with the giggles, they have never forgotten. “The yeast eats the sugar, and then it burps, making little bubbles” and that’s how yeast works!
Love that!
I split this recipe into thirds, so my daughter had a quick evening project. It worked great (even in a mini cast iron skillet). The taste would have been improved with a little sea salt on the top afterward, but it was great nonetheless. Nothing like hot bread fresh from the oven!
Would it work if we made the bags in advance, refrigerated it, then the next day kneaded it and baked it?
Angela, You would need to let it warm up so the yeast would work.