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. Water should be 105-110 degrees F. A nice warm bathwater 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. Water should be 105-110 degrees F.
- 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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I can only find active yeast. Will this work and what will I have to do differently? Want to try this with my grandchildren.
Active yeast will work fine
We have been making the bread once a week for the last few months! We love it! My question is this – how long should the bake time be if I just wanted to do a full size loaf?
My granddaughters had so much fun. Very easy to make and very tasty
This recipe looks easy. I have tried other recipe also but it seems like something is not right my dough comes out elastic. It stick on the board on my hands. Help before I give up.
Just add some additional flour
This looks wonderful. So since this makes 2 mini loaves (I don’t have those pans) would it be 1 recipe for 1 normal bread pan?
I had never heard of bread made in a bag. It sure looks like fun. I am 81 and hardly bake anymore, but think I will try this. Will this work with whole wheat flour? Thank you for the recipe.
Hope you have fun with it! It should work just fine with whole wheat flour
What is the correct temperature? I’ve read everything including the comments and haven’t found the temperature. Thank you
The correct temperature for baking? It is listed in the recipe card – 375 degrees F.
I’m sorry I didn’t clarify. What is the correct water temperature? It says warm water. Some of the comments ask why their bread didn’t rise and you’ve told them their water could be too hot or too cold. What temperature should the water be? Thank you
The water temperature should be 105-110 degrees F. I have added that to the recipe. Thanks
This is the coolest thing since sliced bread. I was just going to look up ideas of things to do with the grandkids over spring break and I got this email from you. Brilliant! I make bread every week for my husband and had planned on making bread with the kids, but this is so much better than how I was going to do it with them. Thank you!
Not sure what I did wrong, but mine didn’t rise. I used the Rapid Rise Yeast. Maybe I didn’t get my water hot enough. I’m not giving up, but I would appreciate any suggestions…
If you are unsure of your water temperature use a thermometer to check it. Also make sure your yeast is not expired. If your water is too hot or not warm enough the yeast won’t rise
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 ????????
Like the pizza idea. I had told my grandkids that next time they come visit we will make personal mini pizzas using the muffin top pans. They got really excited about that. I will use this recipe for those pizzas. Thanks for the idea.
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.
I Love this recipe because I can make this with my granddaughters! !
It’s the perfect grandmother/grandchild activity!
This is wonderful, I just want to thank you for posting this awesome thing to do with kids.
Would it work to cut the recipe in half, just to have one mini loaf per child?
Nichole, I have never halved the recipe so I’m not sure. I’d give it a try though.
Can you use bread flour or is plain better
I have only used all purpose but I’m bread flour would work fine.
I made this today with 17 kindergarten through second graders. It was really great!! Each child made a half recipe in a quart sized bag and hand shaped it. We used some wheat that we ground ourselves mixed in with the flour. The kids enjoyed it and I was very pleased at how easy it was. Thanks for the recipe!!
What an easy and delicious recipe!! Thank you for sharing!
Do you have a gluten free version of this?
Vicki, You can just substitute gluten free flour
My daughter followed your recipe and made small buns instead of loaves. She and her siblings enjoyed nibbling on the results with mugs of hot chocolate. Our home smelt wonderful with the aroma of fresh baked bread! Very easy to follow recipe. Fun! And the bread is delicious! We will definitely revisit this recipe soon! Thank you for sharing!
My 4 year old grandson loves to cook with me. He tells us he is going to be the next best chef. We made the bread in a nag this afternoon. The smiles on his face were so wonderful to see. And getting to eat what he makes just makes him smile all the more. We are going to try the ice cream in a bag tomorrow. And he says we are going to bake more bread tomorrow because it made his tummy very happy. Thank you for these fun projects to do with him. We both love them. Thank you
Mary, So glad you and your grandson had so much fun together. Be sure and check out my Kids Can Cook Category for even more fun things to do in the kitchen.
https://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/category/kids-can-cook/
I am going to visit my daughter and her family for a mini vacation and my grandsons who are 5 and 7 will love this….I love cooking with my boys, lots of mess, lots of smiles and lots of love….doesn’t get any better.
Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Can’t wait to try this with my granddaughters. They love to help me in the kitchen. Always trying to find something they can do themseves. Always trying find fun projects to keep them busy.
Debbie – enjoy and have fun with those granddaughters.
Tried this with my 6 year old Grand daughter. We had a blast. Altered it buy adding 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 cup of raisins. At the same time we made butter in a mason jar by shaking whipping cream. to that I added maple flakes to make maple butter, on toasted raisin bread. She loved it.
I am a 60+ grandfather. Kitchen crafts are our thing. Thank you for this. Building memories is fun!!!!
We are taking our 4 (almost 5) year old grandson camping in early October. This will be a PERFECT memory-maker!! Now I’m even MORE excited to have him for a long weekend trip! Because they live in another city we don’t get to spend enough time together. I love to cook, & this will be another way that we can connect in the kitchen! And have something yummy to eat that HE created! Thank you!
I hope you have a wonderful time with your grandson!!
Those are beautiful loaves of bread. And i love the idea of using bags. I am 60’s and I still remember learning to make bread from my grandma when I was 5 or 6
Made this with my 5 and 7 year old. So easy and they were super proud to be able to serve their bread at our evening meal. Thank you for a fun way to connect in the kitchen.
Would I be able to add in like cinnamon and raisins to this or would it totally alter the recipe?
It should work fine
Thank you very much for the recipe, it’s in the oven now and cooking very nicely!
My 3 yr old daughter loved to help and I love to show her where food comes from. 🙂
I put some mixed seeds on top of one loaf and it is looking delightful. Thanks from England. x
Karlie, Love the idea of adding some seeds on top.
just saw your recipes they look like so much fun. My 4 year old grand daughter loves to cook . We will try this very soon…thank you .
Thank you for your post! My 7yo loves to cook and he enjoyed making bread for our family this morning. The blog was fun for him to follow so he could do it with little assistance. Baking bread is a tradition so many people no longer have, so I hope you inspire many more young bakers!
Thank you Julie. I so agree with you about the art of breakmaking become lost! So glad your 7 year old loves to cook and had fun with the post!
Can you add a flavor such as banana?
Not sure how banana would work as it is a yeast bread not a quick bread but I know raisins and a little cinnamon works.
Someone mentioned above that you could odd 1/2 cup of sugar….for a sweeter bread…which I like along with a few dashes of cinnamon….would this be too much sugar to add and if not then would you add all this amount of sugar at the same time as stated in your original recipe ?
Anna, I have never added sugar to it and a 1/2 cup seems like quite a bit. I might start with 1/3 of a cup. Yes, add the sugar in with the flour, etc.
Please can you tell me what Temp would you use to cook this bread on? I have a electric fan oven.Thank you.
Sharon I bake it at 375 degrees F in a conventional oven. All the details of the recipe are at the bottom of the page.
Can you use raw cane sugar. This is the only thing I did different and it isn’t riding. What can I do?
I have never used raw cane sugar before in it. Did you check the expiration date on your yeast?
what size bag do you use for the Bread in a Bag
It is a gallon size bag
I plan to do this with my grandchildren next week. We will have them all week and I am always looking for new and fun things to keep them occupied. This fits the bill nicely. Thanks!
I love, love, love this idea/recipe. I make about 2 loafs of bread a week for my husband and myself. We are seniors, and love that this is so easy and so much healthier for us. When It was stale, we just put it in the freezer and then run it through the food processes when we need bead crumbs! T have seen other recipes with wheat bread, have you tried any of them? Which would you recommend?
I did this with our youth group last night (Part of a summer activities theme this summer), and it was a HUGE success! It even tasted good, LOL! Thank you!
So glad the kids had fun with it.
Was wondering if you can use this wheat or rye flour and can you add other ingredients slike flax or oatmeal or maybe cheese
Diane, I have only made the recipe with white flour but several people have commented that they made it with wheat and it turned out fine. I have never used any other ingredients that you mentioned.
What a great way to involve kids in the kitchen, not to mention all the education they are getting. Im going to try it with my granddaughters. Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! After reading The Little Red Hen with my kindergarteners, I was looking for a bread recipe my students could be involved in that wouldn’t be too overwhelming. They loved it!! We made 6 batches so everyone could be involved and each one turned out great!! Thanks again!
How long to bake if a regular size loaf? Is it the same as the 2 minis?
It will take longer than the minis since it is bigger. Anywhere 25 -40 minutes. I have never baked this particular bread in a full size pan.
Love this, thanks. In return, here’s one we love. You can make traditional Spaetzle the easy way in a Ziploc bag. We use this recipe, without the nutmeg, doubled with an extra egg. The size of the hole you cut in your bag can determine the size of the noodles. My kids love mushing the bag and squeezing big fat noodles out of the bag into the boiling water. Fastest pasta ever! http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-spaetzle-the-easy-way/
Thanks so much for sharing. I love spaetzle! Will definitely be trying this.
Can we add anything to the bread to make say banana nut bread or add raisins, etc to it? At what point in the instructions should those be added?
Can I cook this on a barbeque? If so, what temp, for how long? I want to do this with the grandchildren while camping. Thanks.
I really don’t know. You would probably need some kind of dutch oven to put it in because you would need heat from the top and bottom.
Thanks – Definitely going to try this! Has anyone tried the recipe without the sugar?
Matt.
Sugar is necessary to activate the yeast. I can’t imagine it would do well without. Most likely it won’t rise.
You need something to activate the yeast , maybe try a little honey instead of sugar.
The warm water in the recipe along with the sugar work to activate the yeast
Bread & Ice cream……two basics for children! Thanks for the idea.
Can you use vegetable oil instead of olive oil
yes you can
Can I use muffin tins to make individual rolls?
Sure!
Love bread so will try this and see how it does. I have a new bread machine bur cannot find a good recipe for it.
Genius!
How big is the “mini” loaf pan in inches? Thanks!
6 x 3/12 x 2 https://www.amazon.com/Mini-Disposable-Aluminum-Foil-Loaf/dp/B015P0M0AW?ie=UTF8&redirect=true
morning! just want to ask if i can use all purpose flour ..thank you
Yes, you may use all purpose flour
Can you make this with gluten-free flour? It really looks great!
Sacha, I have not tried it with gluten free flour so I’m not sure how it would work.
Looks like fun to try it out! I have celiac so I am game…
I commented on an earlier post, but I used King Arthur GF flour and it worked well!
Mary – good to know – thanks!
Could I sub one of the cups regular flour with wheat?
I have only made it with just white flour but another reader used whole wheat flour and said it worked fine.
How long would we let it rise if I can’t find rapid rise yeast?
It would need probably 30-60 minutes depending on how warm it is.
DOES IT WORK THE SAME TO MAKE ROLLS INSTEAD OF LOAF BREAD?
yes
How long would rolls need to bake if doing those instead of loafs?
I have never done this bread as rolls but I’m guessing about 20 minutes.
What size pan for regular loaf? 9×5 or 8×4?
Joan, you could use either one.
Fantastic so çlever
What temp for the water ? Thanks…going to do this
105-110 degrees F.
I also just came upon your recipe for making bread with children and I am going to try this with my grandchildren. Great instructions and messy for oh, so fun to do together. Thanks and Happy 4th of July!
Glad you found the recipe – have fun doing it with your grandchildren.
Glad I found your recipe (even if it`s for kids),My sister had a bread maker awhile back, and she made some of the best and different breads I have tasted, I wanted to get one, but just couldn`t see spending money on something I would use just once in awhile, so when I came across your recipe, I thought that`s what I needed, as I don`t eat that much bread and this would be just what I needed.
My question is this: when you put the towel over the bread to help it rise, does it need to be damp?
My mother and grandma used to make bread years ago, and they would put a damp towel over the bread and set it by our house heaters to help it rise.
Thank you as I am new to this site. I also got the recipe for ice cream in a bag.
Glad you found the recipe too. I do not use a damp towel, I just use a cotton towel. Enjoy!
yes . mom used to place a damp towel on the loaf of bread to keep it from drying out while rising .
I am going to send this to my daughter for her and her daughter to do together I know my granddaughter will love it i also printed it out for when she comes to visit us
Thanks Leigh: I am a widow cooking for 1. This bread in a bag was just what I needed. Can put one in freezer and eat the other with meals. I was a farm person raising my 3 sons with the profound savings of canning and freezing and drying for the winter months. I do miss it but with only myself to cook for less means less. Again Thank You.Granny r.
Joyce, I am so glad you found the recipe and it is perfect for you!!
Just found your site. Two grandkids that love bread (so does grandma…lol) Will the four mini loaves make only 1 regular size loaf or 2?
The recipe makes two mini loaves or one size regular loaf.
Love your bread recipe , will like to have the ice cream in the bag if it is possible, Thanks
THe ice cream in a bag will be on the blog tomorrow!!
Any way to make this gluten free??
You could try it with gluten free flour and see how it works – I’ve never tried it though.
I tried it with King Arthur GF flour the other day. It worked really well! No one could taste the difference
I do believe you would need xanthan gum with the gluten free flour in order for it to work because i think yeast has gluten in it 🙂
I am trying it right now with the Namaste GF flour blend from Costco. I didn’t change a thing in the recipe aside from using the Namaste flour blend as a 1:1 replacement. It’s at the end of the raising stage and about to go into the oven to bake. I am making 1 large loaf, and let it 30 minutes instead of 20.
I am thinking I will need to add a little extra liquid next time, because it was REALLY firm and tough dough. It didn’t raise hardly at all, though I would not be surprised if it’s due to my yeast being too old/inactive.
I LOVED this idea for making bread as I am also allergic to eggs, and most GF/EF yeast breads have 15,000 ingredients and are FAR too much work. I’ll keep playing with this recipe and let you know what I find. I am SO determined to make this work, thank you!!! 🙂
Keep me posted on how it works and the tweaks you make.
Do you have to use olive oil or will regular vegetable oil work?
Regular vegetable oil or canola oil will work too.
Thank you for sharing! Love trying new recipes and ideas. <3 Great for camping and etc. Just love it!!!! <3
Have fun with it!
Thank you for the recipe. Can’t wait to try it.
How long does it take for one large loaf? This is the best recipe for myself since I have arthritus and cant do a lot of kneading. I love homemade breads and the smell it gives your house. So happy I found your recipes.
Is it possible to add cheese and onion for a savory bread, Nuts and Raisins for a sweet bread?
I haven’t done it but it should work fine.
Nuts, raisen’s, and cinnamon will make a great loaf..
My sweet bread calls for milk instead of water and increase the sugar from 3tbs to 1/2 cup.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Are you using all-purpose flour?
yes, all purpose flour. All my recipes use all purpose flour unless otherwise noted. Enjoy!
I searched all the replies hoping someone had already asked this question. Do you use plain or self raising floor?
Thanks
it is plain, all purpose flour. I will always specify if it is self rising. EnjoY!
awesome recipe, great for kids pack lunch and snacks. Love your recipe. Thanks.
I make this bread all the time thankyou for making this recipes just made one then
I liked the pictures sooo much, really encouraging
I would like to try this with my kids this weekend 🙂
Sure they will like the mess they will make 😀
Thanks! I am going to do this with the activity day girls and use one of their loaves as sacrament bread and talk about the sacrament. This is an easy way to make it work with a crowd!
Staci. You must be LDS. What a great Primary activity for girls. I live in Louisiana and am in the Denham Springs Stake Presidency here. Hope your girls had fun. Sis Judy Hodges
How much yeast?? I can’t tell how much there is in the packet.
A packet of yeast has 2 1/4 tsp in it.
Hi
What a great idea and yummy fresh bread to boot.
I have one query, the recipe states 1 (.25) package rapid rise yeast.
What is the (.25) ??
Many thanks.
that is the weight of the package.
I successfully used this with a group of six 7 year olds and a group of eight 5 year olds. For the 5 year olds, I had them do half the recipe in a quart sized bag and make one mini loaf. All the kids thought it was so fun to take home their own loaf of bread. Putting everything in a ziploc made the mess really manageable. For the younger group, I had pre-measured the yeast, sugar, salt, and oil into little Dixie cups so they could just dump them in. Anyway, just wanted to thank you for such a fun, kid friendly idea!!
I love baking bread. But since I’m extremely disabled, it’s a huge chore, one I don’t often do.
Today I got my ingredients ready, but am still unable to make myself start the project.
Your idea about mixing dough in a bag got me moving. I have the dry ingredients ready for a standard 2-loaf bread recipe. I’ll use bags, dividing the ingredients into two batches. This is even better, because I live alone, and can’t eat two loaves of bread before they get unlovely. I’ll retain the other half of the dry ingredients and do it again, once the first batch is used up.
This idea will allow me to knead my bread at the computer, sitting down! Since standing up is painful, you might guess what a grand idea that is. You might find sites for disabled people who may also appreciate this.
This is a great idea for children, but also for this disabled grandma! Thanks.
Holly, So glad you found the recipe and that it will work for you Have fun making your bread
If I wanted to make biscuits instead how long would it take to bake them?
I’m just getting ready to teach a cooking club after school for 1st-3rd graders and found this recipe on Pinterest. I was totally excited! Then I looked at your profile picture and thought to myself that you looked familiar. When I took a closer look at your name, it clicked: we used your carnival theme for our rehearsal dinner in July! Small world. I love all your grand ideas. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Hi Tabitha! Have fun with your cooking club. Your mother in law Teri and I have been friends since our Creative Memories days! Loved seeing the pictures of your rehearsal dinner.
Leigh Anne, Thanks for the recipe and your girls are so pretty ! My grandsons 4 + and 6+ will come to visit us but our Chinese New Year 19th Feb is approaching, I wonder do I have the time to let them try. Max, my elder grandson loves baking. Any how will let them try before they go back to Paris.
Will keep an eye on your blog and let the grandkids do some baking when they come to visit us or when I visit them in Paris.
Best regards,
Rebecca
Made this recipe with my five and six year old girls this past weekend and they loved it. We made one full-size loaf from each batch and they cooked in about the same time as the mini loafs. Looking for ways to spice up the bread next time, possibly making it into cinnamon sugar bread like streusel or other options. Any suggestions?
Well I see this post is older, but I just found it via LilMooCreations. I’m extremely thrilled to find this. I have two grandsons. 9 and 7. One bakes cookies and cupcakes for his dad to take and share at work, the other loves to cook so much, he has his own utensils, apron, and chef’s hat. Nana-grandie time is so priceless, and this is a recipe I think they’d both love. The ‘squish’ factor is going to really tickle them. Sounds like the perfect afternoon activity for us to do on Christmas Eve this year. Thanks so much!
This recipe is fabulous! I spent the afternoon making loaves of bread with my 3 year old. She was able to do most on her own and loved eating the bread as much as making it. Thanks for the recipe. Looking forward to reading more of your blog 🙂
I am so glad you had so much fun!!!
I am excited about this recipe. I am 81 and finding something so simple is great. My husband and I both like homemade bread. I quit making bread because of the trouble .
When I found this recipe the first thing I said to Charlie was “Now I can bake bread again.”
Thanks.
I am so glad you found the recipe Billie. I hope I am still making bread at 81!
I can’t wait to try this out with my littles! I LOVE having them take part of something in my kitchen and this looks like a great project for them! Thanks!!!
Amy, Have fun with your littles in the kitchen!
I’m sure I missed this in the directions, but… What temperature do I bake the bread at?
375 degrees
Is the baking time for the two little loafs or one big loaf?
It is for the little loaves
I saw the question of flour I’m still a tad confused about which kind to use, all purpose or self rising?
all purpose
Question about the flour, can it be gluten free, rice or something along those lines, or does it have to be a white flour product.
Amanda, I have only used white flour but I would think gluten free would work
I just made gluten free and regular with my kids. Odd thing was to get the same texture the gluten free needed 1/2 c mpre water.
Some of the flours often used in GF mixes do require more moisture, especially coconut flour. Glad it worked for you.
What’s your secret for light and shiny crust? Egg yolk? Melted butter? The verdict is out on whether we kneaded too long. My boys made a batch this morning that is now cooling. They had a great time making the dough, so it is a win! I really hope it’s edible though 🙂
The secret is melted butter. I mainly did it so it would look prettier in the photograph 🙂 Hope you and your boys had fun – that’s the key ingredient!
do you put the butter on before or after you bake it?
after
Tastes great! I love how “organic” it is with lumps and bumps, but yet it bakes up with such nice texture.
This new cooking with kids that you are doing is genius. I am looking forward to finding the next in the series as it is now July 11 and I am behind. I signed up for your weekly email as well so I don’t miss anything. For this first recipe how long would you cook a regular sized loaf. Would it cook the same 25-30 minutes or a little longer. I have always had this thing with yeast. We just don’t get along, but I think even I could handle this recipe. My teenager daughter is interested as well. Thanks so much!
Will have more ideas on the blog in the next few weeks – did you see the Chocolate Snack Cake idea I shared a week ago? A full size bread pan will probably take about 10 minutes longer. Have fun!!
I am wondering how big the mini loaf pans are?
Deb, They measure 5 3/4 x 3 1/4 x 2 inches. I do link to them in the post if you want to check them out.
Wish I would have seen this two weeks ago! I had my niece and nephew for 9 days and this would have been right up their alley to do. I have 4 grandsons and can’t wait for each of them to be ready to help make bread loaves. I already do homemade loaves for Christmas presents…this would be a way for them to make the presents even more special!
If your kitchen isn’t warm enough for rising, start your oven at 200 degrees F. and let the dough “rest” in there. That way it’s draft free as well which helps with the rising. Make sure that you cover the bowl or pan that you have the dough in so it doesn’t dry out. Make sure you don’t leave the dough in the plastic bag though.
Thanks for the tip Tess! Have fun baking with the grandsons.
I loved your idea I have grand sons perfect for boys, and messy grams
loved it will let every one know how old gram did.
Have fun Judy!
Can you add yummies as in chocolate chips or anything before baking?
Sure!
I can’t wait to try this. It seems like such a simple recipe.
So easy and so fun!
I love this cooking with kids!!! I let my 5year old niece make cookies just last week. Next is making bread!!! Thanks for all the fun recipes:)
Have fun with your niece!
I love this! My son is so picky but he likes bread so this is a win/win. He can help make it (without a big mess) AND he will eat it. I can’t wait to try this with him. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Have fun!
Hi! That looked so much fun! 🙂 And the little girls did look so proud! I would like to bake this bread, I have a 250gm packet of instant yeast, could you tell me the yeast used in spoons? Thanks so much!
Seema, I don’t know the conversion but if you Google it I bet there is a website that can convert it for you. Enjoy!
1 packet is 2 1/4 tsp.
I have active dry yeast instead of rapid will it still work?
It will, it will just take longer for your bread to rise is all – have fun!
Ok thank you about how long will it take just a guess so I know how long to have daughter go play.
Depends on how warm it is in your kitchen but I’d say 30-40 minutes
Could I please have a bread in a bag recipe for wholemeal bread?
Sorry I’m not familiar with wholemeal flour?
This made my day! What darling little girls and such a great idea. Thank you for sharing.
Aren’t they cuties! I borrowed them from a friend 🙂
This looks like lots of fun. My grandson will have fun with this easy recipe. Could you use whole wheat flour and still use 1 yeast or would it be 2 packages of yeast for the 3 c of flour?
I have not made it with whole what but would think you would use the same amount of yeast as the white flour.
It would be best to use part WW and part white. This bag deal is a neat idea for young kids. I use a Kitchen aid mixer. Make about 4 loaves every 2 weeks.
A combo would work great.
My five-year old daughter and I made this bread today. Well, actually, according to my daughter she did it “all by myself” 😉 . She was so proud of the finished product!!! I’ll be looking for more of your cooking with kids posts!
Tammy, Love it!! So glad you and your daughter had fun together in the kitchen.
I’ve never made bread from scratch but I’m going to try this with my daughter! What is the right temperature for the water and how do you get that temperature? Tap water? Thermometer? Thanks.
You want the water to be between 105-110 degrees. I use tap water and just do it by feel but you can use a thermometer if you have one. I just test it on the inside of my wrist.
Hi! Do you know if this will this work with whole wheat flour? I’d like to make this with my son but we’re trying to do healthier baking. Thank you! 🙂
Perla – don’t see why not. Let me know how it turns out!
Have fun!
This rocks my world! We are all about the five-minute artisanal bread at my house, but this would be a fun twist.
Jennifer, It is so much fun – enjoy!
Did you use bread flour or regular?
We just used regular flour.
At the risk of sounding completely dumb, are all of the ingredients divided? Bread is kind of the final frontier for me. I love cooking and baking, but I have no confidence when it comes to making bread. I know a 1:1 ratio of flour to water seems off though. I want to make this recipe with my kids, and I really want it to turn out right, so I figured I better ask before I lay a shaky foundation for them as far as bread-making goes. 🙂
Thanks for your help!
Paula, Not sure what you mean by are all the ingredients divided? The recipe is at the end of the post with all the directions. You do add only a cup of water and a cup of flour in for the first step but 2 more cups of flour are added in as you go. Keep reading the post and you’ll see that as you go.
This is such a cute idea! Miss you!!!
Thanks friend!
I am so excited to see more of these kind of recipes! I have been wanting to do a kids cooking camp with my kids and a couple other neighbor kids so this is perfect! Thanks!
So glad you like it! I plan on doing one a week for the next 5-6 weeks!
Made it today with my kids and some other kids. They loved it! One of the little girls ate half of hers as we were walking her home. Thanks again!
Lachelle, Love it! So glad you all had fun with it.
I can attest that Kids can cook. I had mine in the kitchen before he could walk “helping.” As he got older, his skill level improved. Yes, there were messes, but he loved being in the kitchen learning how to cook. He’s now a grown man with his own family and he’s responsible for most of the meals. Success!
Great series!
Definitely a great success story Patti! Way to go mom!
I love this! My two kiddos love to be in the kitchen too! Thanks for this post and we look forward to the next kids in the kitchen! PS I have a problem with measuring cups and spoons and could not help but notice the cute striped ones you used. Super cute, where could I find a set?
Shelly, My measuring cups and spoons came from Sur La Table and they were on sale!
Is that in the US or UK or somewhere else. We usually use grams (or imperial) measurements
What happens if you only have active yeast
Patricia, You would need to activate the yeast in water first.
http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/531168/cups-to-grams-converter
I use this when I’m using uk recipe books????
What darling girls! And what a fun thing to do with them! I’m going to try this method of “Bread In A Bag” myself. THANKS!
Cindi, they are daring aren’t they! We had a lot of fun together.
What fun…we have grand kids coming in the next few weeks.I am going to do this with then.Thank you.
Janina, It’s a perfect thing to do with your grandkids.
Nice recipe. Thank you. The girls are so sweet. Love the pictures. Have a Great Weekend!
Thanks Liz!
Hi there. Could this loaf be made into a savoury loaf? Like putting a packet of white onion soup or herbs and spices? Maybe a silly question but worth asking? Would be nice for an outside braai with a lovely savoury loaf?
Michelle, I have never tried but I don’t see why not. It would be yummy.