Baking with kids provides practical experience with many essential skills such as reading, following directions, and measuring. Getting involved in cooking helps your child to develop fine motor skills, eye hand coordination, and even early concepts of math and science. There are just so many great benefits to cooking with kids. 

Why not make learning through baking even more fun by linking it to your child’s most recent experience or interest, for instance if you have just come back from watching The Tiger Who Came To Tea live on stage (if you haven’t then book your tickets today) – You can extend the fun and learning at home by baking a tiger bread. Children love to play with dough and this activity is sure to engage them in lots of mathematical and imaginative learning experiences.

HERE’S THE BEST TIGER BREAD RECIPE:

PREP: 25 mins

COOK: 35 mins (plus 2 hours for rising)

MAKES: 10 – 12 slices

Ingredients:

• 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for kneading
• 7g sachet fast action yeast
• 1½ tsp caster sugar
• 1½ tsp fine sea salt
• 300-350ml warm water
• vegetable oil, for the bowl

For the topping

• 90g rice flour
• ½ x 7g sachet fast action yeast
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp golden caster sugar
• ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 90ml warm water

Method

• Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl. Stir through the yeast, sugar and salt. Make a well in the middle and gradually pour in the water. Swiftly mix together, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the bread for 8-10 mins or until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, then put the dough in the bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hr or until doubled in size.

• Once the dough has risen, tip it onto a worktop and kneed it three times. Shape the dough into an oval as best you can. Lightly flour a baking sheet and sit the loaf on it. Cover loosely with lightly oiled cling film and leave for a further 45 mins-1 hr or until doubled in size again. 

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Whisk together all of the topping ingredients in a small bowl until you get a spreadable paste, adding more water and/or flour if necessary, then set aside to rest for 5 mins. Gently spread the mixture over the loaf with a palette knife. Place the baking sheet in the centre of the oven and bake for 35 mins. Once cooked, the loaf should sound hollow when the base is tapped and should feel light for its size. Leave to cool completely before cutting into slices.

ENJOY YOUR TIGER BREAD!

The Tiger Who Came to Tea will be roaring its way back to London this summer! Playing at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in the West End from 11 July until 4 September 2022, this is one of the best London attractions for kids aged 3+ this summer, so why not book your tickets and enjoy a day out to remember? The show runs for 55-minutes long and is based on the popular children’s picture book by Judith Kerr.