Lessons in loaf

Loaf-button-E

 

Planting the wheat seeds:

This project starts in March/ April time when we plant our wheat seeds. You can search on the Internet for seed merchants, from whom you can buy a small amount of sterilised wheat- we normally plant 1kg. The real bread campaign also has lots of information and adviceĀ http://www.sustainweb.org/realbread/

Prepare an area of your garden to plant the wheat seeds. We plant two raised beds measuring about 2 meters square in total. Get the children to make holes in the soil with their fingers. When the soil has a lot of holes all over the bed (as many as you can fit in) ask the children to drop one seed into each hole. Then cover the seeds over being careful that the children do not press the soil down. Keep the soil watered but not soggy and watch your wheat grow. By June/July your wheat should have grown green ears corn and by August these should have turned yellow.

Harvesting your wheat:

It is ready to harvest when the wheat is yellow and dry and you can feel the wheat berries are firm. Unfortunately the wheat normally needs harvesting in mid August so someone will need to come into school to do this over the summer holidays. Do not leave it any longer as the corn will collapse and spoil. Cut the wheat base (close to the ground) with scissors and bunch your wheat tying up the bundles with string. Hang upside down somewhere warm and dry, away from any mice!

Making our own bread

We normally hold our Lesson in Loaf in the Autumn. Lessons in Loaf is now kindly supported by the Worshipful Company of Bakers, and we are lucky to have volunteer bakers to help run the lessons.

 

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