Science Project - Making Bread With Yeast

For Science extra credit my daughter had the opportunity to make bread using yeast and I ended up getting a science lesson from my girl.... Which I have to say was really cool.... As she was adding the ingredients -she is quizzing me on the science of making bread with yeast... She asked me - Do you know why the bread rises when you use yeast? My answer - Uhhhh - no...
Well - she knew.... Yeast is ALIVE - yeast is a single-celled organism.. When you add sugar and warm water the yeast wakes up and starts eating - the eating causes the yeast to basically fart pass gas bubbles - releasing carbon dioxide.. These bubbles get trapped in the dough and make the bread rise.. Putting the dough in the oven - kills the live yeast and the bread is ready to eat... Oh and Yeast - is in the family of fungi.....

I am not a scratch baker so I searched the Internet for an easy recipe and found this one on allrecipes.com - Amish White Bread

In a large bowl - dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast - allow to proof until the yeast resembles a creamy foam.





Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time - Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.






Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes - shape into 2 loaves and place into well oiled 9x5 loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above the pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes..