Kids and Bread Machines

About author / Christine Gable

Culinary enthusiast; kids cuisine and slow cooking; magazine recipe developer; professional writer. Her simple recipes are great for family dinners.

Want to boost your kids’ interest in baking? I’ve got two words for you:

Bread machine.

I know, I know. �They were trendy and the “in thing” more than five years ago—and now it’s probably blasé. �Now everyone’s into panini machines. �Never fear. �I love paninis too. �And they are planned for an upcoming column.

But for now I want to share with you the delight and discovery that just one borrowed bread machine brought into our life. �It all started when a friend of mind said that she bakes bread everyday. �What?? �I was stunned. �In a day and age of pre-sliced, packaged perfect loaves and busy schedules—how does she manage to bake so often? �And then she said those two magic words: Bread machine.

And she even shared several recipes—rye, whole wheat and cinnamon raisin—which had me secretly wishing we had a bread machine right then and there. �Cinnamon raisin bread is my weakness.

Thanks to my mother-in-law, (who happened to have two in her basement—gifts, you know), we have had a bread machine on our kitchen counter—on short term-loan.

Yet I’m thinking we ought to soon pick one up for ourselves. �When our loaner is gone, it’ll leave a gaping hole—not only on the counter, but also in the fun, discovery and learning that my son and daughter have had with this miraculous machine.

It’s really been like a magical undertaking—and bear with me—these were discoveries that not only the kids made—but I did also:

1. �Where else in the kitchen do you just spoon (in order) raw ingredients into a pot and do nothing else—yet several hours later a fully finished product is ready to eat? �Yes, that fully baked loaf of bread was like a miracle. �Not to mention the fabulous smell that filled the house.

2. �Once your kids can read, just give them the recipe book and set them free. �Yes, this was truly where I saw them shine—and ask questions. �From the differences in flours, in yeasted breads vs. quick breads, from a dense French loaf vs. an airy white loaf—we learned so much from figuring out the answers.

3. �Hands-on happenings. �It’s one thing to read a recipe, or even watch someone else prepare it—a whole other one to do it yourself. �From measuring flour accurately to distinguishing between teaspoon and tablespoon measurements, baking just one loaf will cover it all. �And it’ll stick. �Provide a hands-on experience and it’ll be remembered forever.

Yes, I have a newfound respect for the bread machine. �It’s not just another gadget to sit unused on an already over-full counter! �It’s fun and learning (and dinner) all in one!

And with more than 250 bread machine recipes right here at CDKitchen, you’ll be set for the next five years—even if you try one new one every week. Now that’s some delicious (and easy) bread bakin’!

Serves/Makes: 1.5 lb loaf

• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon butter or oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons dry milk powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast