The Badenoch Busy Bakers 4-H Club has just finished their fall life skills project where the members learned about making bread.
Twelve members in the club met at the home of Joan Law each week to learn the techniques of bread making under the excellent guidance of leaders Marion Hunter and Law.
The members tried new recipes and learned about the importance of bread in their diets, how to make breads more nutritious by adding ingredient such as dry milk, soya or wheat germ.
They planned daily menus using the Canada food guide. Bread products could include rolls, Chelsea buns, French toast, bread pudding, pancakes and pizza to name just a few.
Some of the favourite recipes were white bread, quick caramel rolls and Teddy bear bread. The members all enjoyed participating especially with the “Royal Punch” (Each meeting, one member was chosen to give the first punch to the risen dough before it was shaped).
Every member shaped loaves of bread or rolls. These were taken home for the final rising and then to be baked.
They learned how to judge a good loaf of bread and how to give reasons for their choices. They discussed what went wrong when a loaf of bread was lopsided, coarse and crumbly. Maybe it was poorly shaped, too much flour, or over risen. They discussed another case when the bread did not rise. Maybe the yeast was old or the ingredients too cold.
The Badenoch 4-H Club, as a fundraiser, will be catering for the Puslinch Optimist dinner in February. They really appreciate their financial support. The members enjoy meeting the people, serving the dinner and all want their turn in helping Flo run the dishwasher.
Submitted by Brandon and Madison Bartlett
