Bread in a Bag

This has been a glorious week!  Every year my daughter and son-in-law go out of town for a few days to celebrate their anniversary.  This year was year number 12.  When they go out of town, their babies come to stay with us!  GRANDMA CAMP!!!!!!!  We had so much fun!  I sat down and planned out lots of fun.  We went swimming, visited Great Grandma, ate ice cream, played at the indoor playground because it is so stinkin' hot in Georgia, and did crafts.  We read books, told stories, laughed and laughed, made new dresses, had water balloon fights, played in the water table, and made bread.  Yes, we made homemade bread!  Or rather, we tried. I found a recipe on the computer where you make homemade bread in a ziploc bag.  Perfect for little hands and not near as messy!  This afternoon was the day we made bread.  The bad news was it didn't turn out.  It was hard and thick and didn't rise.  The kids did love helping to make the bread though.  After some investigation, I learned the yeast needed to be dissolved in the water and the water needed to be between 95 and 115 degrees.  These are a couple of little details the recipe I found on the internet failed to mention.  I also added more water and oil than it recommended.  After learning all of this, I gave it a second try.  Unfortunately, the grandbabies were not here for the second loaf.  I gave my daughter a packet of yeast and promised to send her the new and improved recipe and she's going to make it with those sweet babies this weekend.  The good news is the second loaf turned out beautifully!  See for yourself.  It is so cool that you can make this bread in a ziploc bag!  I wish I had thought of that!

Homemade Bread

 3 cups all purpose Gluten free flour (divided into 3 equal increments)

¼ cup sugar

1 rapid rise yeast packet

1 cup warm water

¼ cup olive oil

1 ½ tsp salt

1 gallon sized Ziploc bag

Put 1 cup of flour  and sugar in the Ziploc bag.  Add yeast to water and stir until dissolved.  The water should be between 95 and 115 degrees (too cool and the yeast won’t activate. Too hot and the heat kills it).  Add yeast water to bag.  Close bag and mix well.  Let it rest for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.  Add 1 more cup of flour, olive oil, and salt.  Close bag and mix some more.  Add in one more cup of flour, close bag, and mix well.  Turn mixture out onto a flour covered surface, knead until smooth, and shape into a loaf.  Put the loaf into a greased 9x5 loaf pan and cover with a towel for 30 minutes. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.