DaytonDailyNews.com

WASHINGTON TWP., Montgomery County — Of all the morsels of breadmaking wisdom that Paula Gray delivered to 150 students of the Miami Valley School on Thursday morning, Oct. 23, the one that triggered the most shock and awe may have been the wake-up time for those who choose to bake for a living.

"If you want to be a baker, you have to get up early in the morning — like 2 a.m.," said Gray, a representative of the Vermont-based King Arthur Flour Company, to audible gasps.

Other than that one apparent dealbreaker, students warmed to the idea of breadmaking throughout the demonstration in which MVS eighth-grade students Morgan Haak and James Sullivan donned aprons and helped Gray knead bread dough and show students the ins and outs of baking bread. Sullivan and MVS middle school principal Bill Glisson even tried their hand at tossing dough into the air as if making a pizza crust, to the considerable entertainment of students.

There is a serious side to the event, too. The Miami Valley students in grades four through eight will take home flour donated by the King Arthur company and will bake two bread loaves — one for eating, and one for donating to local food pantries and to the St. Vincent de Paul Hotel, a shelter for homeless in Dayton. That service-learning component appealed to Glisson, who eagerly accepted the flour company's offer.

"It's easy for kids to come up with the money to donate, but this is something that involves time and effort," the principal said. "With King Arthur donating all the flour, this just seemed like a no-lose decision."

Gray said the company's "Life Skills" school demo program has been around for a decade, and provides a practical skill as well as family time for students while also serving community needs.

Gray will share her breadmaking secrets again today, Oct. 24, at two elementary schools: Valley in Beavercreek and JFK in Kettering.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2258 or mfisher@DaytonDailyNews.com.