Days of bread and physics

photo by Roy Patrick Tan who shares his photos and is a painter

If you know you are low on an ingredient, leave home early, and shop on the way to the school.

Sign in, check e-mail, review the physics lesson:  then teach Physics.

2nd period is your prep: go for a walk to get out of the classroom, say hello to someone who is pleasant and smiles, go shopping if you did not leave early-- be glad that a store is just down the street.  Move needed materials from your classroom to one that has a kitchen.  as prep time comes to an end, place a pot with water over some low heat.

Say, "wash your hands."  Say, "did you wash your hands?"  as you keep an eye on the water temp, students will prepare three large bowls:  2 cups of whole wheat flour, 1 tsp of salt, 1/4 cup of olive oil.

in a 2 cup measuring cup you place a packet of yeast, if this is the first time experience for a student you will explain about fungi and pockets of air in bread, a pinch or two of sugar, and 2 cups of water which is just over 100 degrees, Fahrenheit.  With the right pressure you can exceed 100 degrees Celsius but this would kill the yeast and you will have crackers. 

repeat the above paragraph two times, each time showing the students the signs of life before pouring into one of the big bowls.

add 1/2 cup of white flour after 1/2 cup of white flour until the hand-crafted wooden spoon, which is only used for bread, has done as much as it can.  Kneed in more flour till it is moist but not sticking onto your hands or the table.  Oil the dough, then cover with one of those big bowls.  Run off to teach physics while being glad your assistant can wrap things up in the kitchen.

eat lunch, but before that time is over go to the kitchen and get the oven pre-heating 360 or so.

6th period---  take each dough, cut in half, each half in half, each quarter in half, each eighth in half.  Quit cutting.  form rolls.  say, "please don't toss that around," and before that you will be heard saying, "knives are sharp."

start baking the rolls.  I put a tray on a low rack for 8 minutes and then place it on a higher rack for 8 minutes as a new tray goes on the lower.  keep baking.  sample rolls with students.

7th period finish baking and clean up.  sample rolls with students.  place rolls in bags as they cool.

8th period sell rolls around campus, but sample rolls with students before venturing out because it is likely they will be gone by the time you get back.